Fire and Rain
by rayrae118
Summary: Charles made one different decision when using Cerebro, and it changed everything. AU of First Class, wherein Charles and Erik decide to track down another mutant instead of Darwin. Watch as this new mutant changes the course of history. Has all the characters you recognize, plus more! Full summary inside. Warnings for abuse and violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! So here is my first foray into the X-Men genre. This is an AU of First Class. Actually, this isn't just an AU, this **_**is**_** the AU. Somewhere out there is an X-Men world as it plays out in First Class and the other movies. That will be important if this is well received, and I end up writing the sequel that is sort of how I actually got into this idea in the first place (involving a Days of Future Past twist).**

**A few things to know before I get started: I'm fudging the ages just a little. In the first X-Men movie, with Patrick Stewart, he says that he met Erik when he was seventeen. That changed in First Class, as he seems to be in his mid to late twenties, but I'm making Charles twenty-two in this story. I'm imagining that, in 1944 when Schmidt/Shaw discovered Erik, he was eleven, so doing the math, in 1962 at the Cuban Missile Crisis, he would be twenty-nine.**

**Also, this starts when Erik and Charles are doing their recruiting. Everything until that point is the same as the movie; at the moment this story begins, they have collected everyone except Darwin; when using Cerebro, Charles made the decision to go after a different mutant, instead of Darwin; he chose to track down a mutant who was closer, geographically, than Darwin, and that is where this story begins. Enjoy!**

**The Warning (Please read!): I really tried to keep this a T rating. It doesn't go into huge detail, but be warned; there is physical and sexual abuse depicted and mentioned. Nothing explicit, but it's pretty obvious. I really don't think it should be rated M, because again, it's not explicit, but I need to warn you that it is there.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do wish I owned James McAvoy though.**

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Erik asked, glancing at his companion skeptically.

Charles looked back and nodded. "This is the place." He ran a critical eye over the dilapidated house in front of them. "Be careful, Erik. Something about this place just seems…" He trailed off, but Erik understood the meaning.

The house they were standing in front of seemed as if it could be taken down with little more than a strong gust of wind. It did not seem like the place someone might choose to live, unless they had no other choice.

Erik hesitantly pushed the rickety door open, almost surprised that it wasn't locked. He had just put one foot on the bottom step of the rickety stairs when Charles grabbed his arm. When Erik turned towards him, he was surprised to see something almost like fear cross the telepath's face.

Charles took a deep breath. "Something isn't right."

Without explaining more, he passed Erik and bounded up the stairs.

Erik let out a huff of annoyance as he followed his friend, being careful to avoid several steps that looked as if they would collapse under any amount of weight.

Charles was waiting outside a door on the third floor. He looked at Erik urgently. "It's locked, Erik. Open it."

Still confused, Erik complied, waving his hand slightly to disengage the lock on the door.

Charles pushed the door open and almost ran inside, Erik half a step behind.

Erik felt a wave of disgust wash over him at the scene that greeted them. He froze momentarily, before holding out a hand and sending out a raw wave of power.

He wasn't quite sure what happened, but the man on the bed was thrown backwards, where he crashed against the far wall.

With the man out of the way, both mutants were given clear view of the teenage girl bound to the headboard.

Erik felt his hands clench as he turned to the man lying on the floor. It was only Charles' hand on his arm that stopped him from attempting to kill the cretin.

Charles was more focused on the girl, who appeared to only be half aware of what was going on around her.

The telepath moved forward slowly, kneeling down next to the bed. He gently reached up and untied the girl's hands, whispering what he hoped were soothing words to assure her that she was safe. He tried to avoid looking anywhere other than her face, so as not to invade her privacy too much. Even so, he couldn't avoid noticing that she was wearing nothing more than a flimsy tank top and underwear. Nor could he fail to notice the bruises that poked out from under the shirt, and covered most of her legs and arms.

As soon as Charles touched the girl's hand, she seemed to wake slightly, twisting and turning to get away.

"Shh, calm down," Charles soothed. "Everything's fine, you're fine." He put two fingers to his temple, and tried to mentally calm her down.

Far from having the effect he had thought, the girl only got worse. She covered her head with her hands and screamed. "Get out, get out!" Charles reared back, surprised. The girl continued to cry. "Please, get out of my head!"

Stunned, Charles realized what was wrong, and immediately stopped his attempt. He had never encountered someone who reacted so negatively to his mental presence, before.

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry," he rushed. "I won't do it again." He glanced up at Erik, who looked torn between helping him with the girl, and ripping the asshole moaning pitifully in the corner limb from limb. When the metal manipulator caught his eye, Charles shook his head slightly. Erik let out an almost-sigh of disappointment. He would really love to teach that… animal… a lesson. He didn't think he could even call him a man. What kind of a person did this to another human being?

Charles knew the most important thing right now was to help this girl. He wondered why she reacted so strongly to his gift.

Erik cleared his throat. "Charles, we should get the girl somewhere safe, and come back to find the one you saw with the machine."

Charles raised an eyebrow as he looked up at his friend. "This _is_ the girl I saw," he informed Erik simply. Erik pressed his lips together, but didn't speak further. He wondered why Charles had chosen for them to go after someone so young, but he was glad that they would be able to help her, since it would seem that her life clearly needed the assistance.

Charles focused back on the girl in front of him. She was breathing heavily in what seemed to be pain now, possibly a byproduct of her attempt to get away from him, and he was worried that she may be seriously injured. "Hey there, I need you to try and calm down. My name is Charles, and this is Erik. We're here to help."

The girl calmed slightly, and glanced over at him. Charles was taken aback by her strikingly blue eyes. They appeared to stare right through him, though he thought he could detect a hint of haziness that indicated she wasn't completely aware of anything right now. Her voice was soft and emotionless. "No one's ever here to help."

Charles felt almost like crying at the life this girl must have lived. Her eyes slipped closed, and he grasped her hand tightly, shaking her to keep her awake. He was alarmed at her state, and reconsidered whether or not they needed to get her to a doctor immediately.

Erik stayed back and let Charles do the work in this situation; he was much more a brute force type; he didn't think he would be able to help, though like his friend, he did worry about the girl's mental state. He shifted slightly, and felt his foot connect with something small on the floor.

He looked down, and then stooped to pick up an empty vial. He frowned and sniffed the inside of the bottle. It had a slightly vinegar-like smell, and he pursed his lips. There was no label on the vial, but he was fairly certain he knew what it had contained. Glancing at the girl's right arm confirmed his suspicions.

"Charles." The telepath turned slightly and looked up. Erik showed him the vial. "She's high."

Charles frowned. "You think she's a drug addict?"

Erik shook his head. "I'm not saying it was her choice. But look, she has needle marks on her arm. This contained heroin, I am sure of it. It would explain why she is not completely aware, and slipping in and out of consciousness."

Charles nodded slowly, and sighed. "We need to get her out of here."

Erik grit his teeth. "What about _him_," he jerked his head at the man still lying in the corner.

Charles stood up, sparing no more than half a glance at the horrible excuse for a human being. "You take the girl to the car. I will take care of it." Erik looked like he wanted to protest, but Charles was relentless. "I will take care of it, Erik," he repeated. "I'll meet you at the car in fifteen minutes."

Erik huffed, but didn't argue. He gently gathered the girl in his arms, being sure to wrap her with the flimsy bed sheet first, to protect what was left of her modesty. He exited the room, leaving Charles alone with the pitiful man.

Charles waited until he knew Erik had exited the house, before he spoke up. "You are a very sick man, you know."

The man glared at him. "I don't know who you are, but you're breaking and entering," he spluttered.

"And you're a rapist," Charles replied calmly.

The man's glare intensified. "I paid good money for that whore!" he shouted.

Charles' gaze narrowed, showing his turbulent emotions for the first time since Erik had left. "And with whom did you broker this deal?" Though the question appeared to be innocent enough, only an idiot would miss the danger in his tone. The man didn't answer, but Charles didn't need him to. With two fingers to his temple, he had the response he needed. "Her father." He shook his head. "It saddens me, that people are willing to do such things to others. Especially to people they're supposed to care for."

The man tried to stand up, but Charles shook his head. "Don't worry, you'll get what you deserve as well. You should be thanking me, after all. My companion would have much rather just killed you and been done with it." He concentrated briefly, and the man's eyes rolled back into his head. He slumped down, completely knocked out.

**XXX**

Charles refused to answer Erik's questions about what he had done with the man, as he slipped into the driver's seat. Glancing over his shoulder showed that the girl was in the back seat, still unconscious.

"Do we know anything about her?" Erik asked, once they had been on the road for a little while.

Charles shrugged slightly. "I believe she has some sort of telepathic ability."

"Really?"

Charles nodded. "I can't read her mind."

Erik was surprised. He knew that Charles was powerful, and he hadn't realized it was possible to block him.

Charles sighed. "I know it seems odd, but I can't actually get in. I tried to use my powers to calm her down, and you saw how she reacted."

"But you got in," Erik argued.

Charles shook his head. "I couldn't see anything. I couldn't read any thoughts."

They fell into silence for a few more minutes, before Erik spoke again.

"How was I able to throw that man against a wall?"

Charles pondered the question, thinking back on what he had seen. "I have a theory, which I believe to be correct." He paused, and glanced at his friend. "You have control over metal, Erik. Our blood is iron-based. I believe in your anger, you were able to tap into a part of your powers that you hadn't realized before. You were able to control the iron in that man's blood." He bit his lip. "You should be very careful about using your powers that way, Erik. You helped the girl tonight, but it could be easy to blur the line and use your gift for the wrong reasons."

Erik clenched his jaw. "This isn't just about tonight is it, Charles." He paused for a moment. "I will make Shaw pay," he informed his friend bluntly. "You may think you can change my mind, but I _will_ make him pay."

Charles sighed. "He needs to be stopped," he agreed. "But I do hope you will realize that killing him will not bring you peace."

Erik shook his head. "Peace was never an option."

Charles bit his lip. "You will one day realize that there are other ways to get justice. Death is the easy way out."

Erik looked at him sharply, but didn't reply, and they drove the rest of the way back to Richmond in silence.

**XXX**

Early the next morning, the 9-1-1 dispatch received a call from a citizen on the north end of the city. A woman had opened her door that morning to put the trash out, and discovered an unconscious man wearing nothing but a white muscle tank and boxers on the sidewalk. When she had rolled him over, she had discovered the word 'rapist' written in black lettering across his forehead.

Police arrived promptly, and carted the man away, soon finding enough evidence to charge him with multiple counts of rape and pedophilia. He would spend the rest of his life in a prison cell, learning just how his victims had felt. Inmates really hated child rapists.

_Please review! Your reviews will tell me whether or not I should post the rest of this story! It's mostly finished now, just one or two more chapters to go, but I want to know whether or not it's worth sharing! So please, just take a second to tell me if I should continue._


	2. Chapter 2

**I was happy to receive a few reviews for chapter one, and to see many more people getting alerts or favoriting this story! That means that there are people who are interested, so I'll keep going. I'm aiming for probably two updates a week, and this story is mostly finished. I'm working on the last chapter now, so the updates should be pretty solid. I only post when I'm finished with a story now, because I hate waiting weeks and months for updates, so I try not to make my readers do the same.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize**

When Charles and Erik returned to the CIA facility, otherwise known as Division X, everyone was shocked to see the unconscious girl in Erik's arms.

Raven took a step forward uncertainly. "Charles?" she queried to her brother.

Charles glanced at Raven, and then turned to Moira, who was standing off to one side. "We need a doctor," he said brusquely.

Moira nodded quickly, and hurried out of the room. Erik continued to hold onto the girl, unsure of whether or not he should put her down. He was amazed at how light she was. Surely it wasn't natural for a teenaged girl to be that easy to carry.

The decision on what to do was taken out of his hands as the girl shifted, coming to awareness. She promptly freaked out, and twisted harshly. It was all Erik could do to lower her to the ground before she fell and further injured herself.

Everyone cried out, watching as if in slow motion. The girl looked around, panicked, before shuffling backwards into a corner, away from everyone.

Charles tried to calm her down with his mind, but he couldn't seem to get passed a mental barrier that appeared to stretch out several feet around her. He knew that, if any of them attempted to actually go to her, they wouldn't make it passed that barrier; it wasn't physical, but it would affect their minds, keeping them from getting close to her.

Sean and Alex both stepped forward, alarmed at a girl near their age, acting in such a manner. It was Angel's warning that stopped them.

Angel, unlike the others, immediately recognized the problem. "Get back," she snarled, glaring at the men in the room, who all appeared to think that the best thing they could do was crowd around a terrified half-naked teenaged girl.

But Angel wasn't like these other mutants. Yeah, they'd probably had their share of problems in their life, but her experiences were different. She had seen the numbers on Erik's forearm, so she knew he had been in a concentration camp during the war; Charles gave off a posh and elegant wealthy Englishman vibe, while Raven had grown up with him in his undoubtedly ostentatious home, and Sean and Hank just looked like the kind of nerds that never even talked to a girl in high school. Alex was a little different; she was good at reading people, and Alex gave her a very strong vibe. She wasn't quite sure what that vibe was, but she had a strong suspicion that Alex had dealt with a lot of crap in his life. He couldn't be more than eighteen, and Charles and Erik had retrieved him from a prison, so there had to be some issues going on there.

So yeah, they had dealt with their share, but they obviously didn't understand how what they were doing was wrong. Angel had taken in the state of dress of this girl, along with the multitude of injuries, and knew that she was probably much better equipped to calm her down.

Everyone stopped their attempts at approaching the girl and looked at the former stripper.

Angel rolled her eyes, and stepped passed all of them. She stopped a few feet away, feeling the mental block that prevented her from getting any closer, not that she would. This girl would not react well to someone invading her personal space. Fortunately, she knew that she could draw on her own experiences to help her with getting this girl to calm down. She had been used for her body for most of her life, and she knew what it was like when a man refused to hear the word 'no'.

"Hey," she started, kneeling down so that she was closer to the girl's eye level. "No one here is going to hurt you."

The girl continued to shake, her arms wrapped around her knees and her head buried in her lap.

Angel bit her lip. "We're all like you."

That got the girl's attention. She looked up, her bright blue gaze searching for something in Angel's expression. She tilted her head to the side, but didn't speak.

Angel almost smiled. "You want to see?"

The girl looked intrigued, but was distracted by Moira's return, accompanied by a man wearing a white coat. This development only appeared to set the girl off.

She backed up even further, something they hadn't thought possible, considering she was already against a wall. The barrier appeared to stretch out further away from her as her distress grew, and everyone in the room winced from the sudden headache that crashed upon them.

Angel tried to calm the girl down again, but it didn't work. She just got more upset, and the headache that Angel was certain was being caused by this teenager worsened.

Suddenly the girl looked up, staring passed Angel. When the former stripper looked over her shoulder, she saw Charles standing there with a look of extreme concentration on his face, two fingers placed on his temple.

Turning back to the girl, she was just in time to see her slump down, eyes rolling back into her head. She was unconscious.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as their headache lessened.

Erik looked at Charles. "I thought you said you couldn't get inside her head."

Charles glanced back, panting heavily, as if he had run a long distance. "That took more effort than it should have." He looked at Moira and the unknown man he assumed to be the doctor he had requested. "We'll take her to one of the bedrooms, and you can examine her there. I think she may have an injured rib. She appeared to be having trouble breathing when we found her."

The doctor nodded and waited while Erik picked the girl up; Charles fell into step with his friend as they took her down the hall, followed by the doctor and Angel, who refused to be left behind, especially when she knew how much the girl would freak out if she happened to wake up in the company of three men.

Once Erik had the girl settled in a bed at the end of the hall, Angel put her foot down and demanded he and Charles leave.

Both tried to protest, but Angel just glared at them. "You don't get it, do you? She's terrified. She has no idea where she is or who we are. I might not have been the one to actually get her, but I can imagine the situation you found her in." Her gaze softened slightly as she turned to look at the girl. "I know what it's like to be used the way she has. No offense to either of you, but you don't really understand what it's like to have some guy not hear the word 'no'."

Erik still looked like he wanted to protest, but Charles placed a hand on his arm. He studied Angel for a moment, searching for something. He must have found it, because he nodded, just once, and pulled Erik out of the room.

Angel watched them leave, and turned back to the girl and the doctor. She attempted not to jump a moment later, when she heard the telepath's voice in her head.

_Take care of her_.

Angel almost shook her head, amazed at the caring she could detect in his mental words.

The doctor immediately got to work, examining the girl for any injuries.

It was almost fifteen minutes later that the girl began to stir. She immediately tensed upon sensing the unfamiliar presence in the room with her, but before she could freak out too much, Angel was at her side, trying not to feel too much confusion over why the girl had woken up all of a sudden. Charles had put her out, shouldn't she stay out until he decided to wake her up again?

"Hey, it's all right," she soothed, running a hand through the girl's tangled hair. "I'm Angel, remember? We're here to help." She glared at the doctor until he backed off, waiting for Angel to calm the girl down.

With the doctor not so close, it did seem as if the girl wasn't quite so afraid. She calmed a little, and turned to Angel.

Angel smiled. "This man here is a doctor." She paused when the girl stiffened, and realized that perhaps the white coat had been what caused her to panic earlier. Maybe she had something against doctors? "He just wants to make sure you're not seriously hurt. Will you let him finish his examination?"

The girl stared at her for a moment, and Angel got some sort of mental image of a cold and dark laboratory, with a man in a white coat, needles, and all sorts of machines. Alarmed, she shook her head. "He's not that kind of doctor, sweetie. He just wants to make sure you don't have any injuries."

After another minute of silence, the girl nodded slowly, and Angel beckoned the doctor forward. He spent another five minutes with his examination, before he pulled back.

"You've got a cracked rib, some cuts, and a lot of bruises," he informed her kindly. "I'll leave some painkillers, but just be careful how you sleep for the next few weeks, and you should heal on your own. None of the lacerations are deep enough to need stitches."

He handed Angel a bottle of pills, before taking his leave.

Angel watched until the door closed behind him, before she returned her attention to the girl on the bed.

The girl was still watching her, a look halfway between fear and distrust on her face. Angel was content to wait, knowing that the best thing she could do was let the girl come to her.

A moment later, she did. "I won't be a lab rat again."

Angel blinked, startled. "What do you mean?"

The girl glared. "I know I'm in a government facility. Don't patronize me."

Angel sighed, shaking her head. "All right then. Yes, this is a CIA facility, though it's separate from headquarters. It's called Division X." She pursed her lips and glanced over at the door. "If you want all the details, you should probably ask Charles, he's the one doing all this recruiting."

"The telepath," the girl said simply, her gaze not leaving Angel's face.

Angel nodded. "Like you, I guess. You gave us all quite a headache earlier." The girl didn't say anything, and Angel felt like sighing again. "Anyway, he and Erik, the other guy who found you, have been going out recruiting people like us, to help out with some sort of situation."

Angel got the distinct impression that the girl knew exactly what she was talking about, even if she wasn't being the most descriptive. "I guess one of the others, Hank, he developed some sort of machine that Charles was able to use to enhance his own powers, to let him find other mutants."

"So that's what that was," the girl muttered, but didn't elaborate.

Angel rolled her eyes, but didn't ask for details. "So that's pretty much the situation. Charles could give you more information, all I know is what he told me about Shaw and his group."

The girl stiffened at the name, something that Angel noticed but didn't comment on. She just smiled softly. "No one here will make you do anything you don't want to do. But you're safe here, with us." She paused, waiting. After a minute of silence, she shifted in her seat. "Can you tell me your name?"

It was another minute before the girl spoke, her voice soft and uncertain. "Jamie."

Angel nodded. "It's nice to meet you, Jamie. Can you tell me how old you are?"

Jamie focused on the ceiling, not wanting to see the pity she could clearly feel coming from the woman. "Fifteen."

Angel took a deep breath. "Do you want to talk about what happened?"

Jamie shook her head quickly. Her eyes were hard as she replied, "I'm used to it by now." Angel tried to hide her horror, and Jamie turned to look at her, a sardonic smirk on her face. "You should really learn to stop thinking so loud."

Angel sat back, considering what she had learned in the last few minutes. How was this girl able to read so much without seeming to even try? Charles had the same power, but he could only really read people's minds when he focused, unless he just liked to put two fingers to his temple all the time for no reason. This girl just seemed to hear everything.

Jamie shrugged, and then winced. Angel was immediately at her side, asking if she was all right. It was weird, because that wasn't something Jamie was used to. She nodded, and Angel sat back slightly.

"You should get some rest," she said softly. "Here, take a painkiller, and don't deny that it hurts." She handed Jamie a pill, which the teenager took reluctantly, swallowing it dry.

Angel waited another few minutes, waiting until Jamie's eyes had drifted shut, before she left, making her way back to the common room area.

She was decidedly not surprised to find that the others were still waiting anxiously for any news. Clearly, Charles and Erik had brought the rest up to speed, so they knew the circumstances surrounding their newest recruit's recovery.

Charles leapt to his feet as soon as he saw Angel. "How is she?" he asked worriedly.

Angel was once more startled at the level of caring the telepath showed for the teenaged girl. She smiled slightly. "She's fine. A cracked rib and a lot of bruises. I think she's more afraid of where she is now, then what happened before you guys showed up."

"What do you mean?" Erik asked curiously. He was trying not to show how shaken he had been to discover a young girl being so brutally assaulted. It really wouldn't help his image for people to find out that he actually cared about something other than his revenge.

Angel sighed. "She said something about not being a lab rat again. Her name's Jamie, by the way." She took a seat on the couch. "She's fifteen."

"Is she a telepath?" Raven asked curiously, leaning forward in her seat. Angel looked at her and she shrugged. "I grew up with one, remember. She caused that headache earlier."

Charles grimaced, remembering several incidents in his early years, when he hadn't had the level of control over his abilities that he had now. He had definitely caused Raven more than a few headaches.

Angel nodded. "She definitely has some sort of control over her abilities, but it seems different from yours," she looked at Charles. "She doesn't seem to need any sort of concentration to get inside people's heads. She knew what I was telling her before I said anything. She also knew she was in a government facility immediately."

"So she could read all our minds and we can't stop her," Alex commented. "Nice."

Charles leveled an almost-glare at the former felon. "All of our abilities require training. She clearly has some control over it, or she would be in a near catatonic state. Trust me on this."

Several of them showed surprise at Charles' statement. Did he have personal experience? Raven scooted over on the sofa and pressed herself into her brother's side, trying to offer comfort. She was probably the only person who could say that she actually knew Charles Xavier. She knew about his struggle to get his powers under control. She knew about his family and home life, and why he had really been willing to accept a strange mutant child into his life so easily. She knew all the things he hid away in the corners of his mind so that he could pretend that nothing remotely bad had ever happened to him. He really was quite a good actor, when she thought about it. She hated those skills, because she knew how he had come by them.

Charles shook his head, sighing softly. "She will get better at maintaining full control with practice. You cannot tell me that you all have perfect control of your abilities either."

They all looked away, knowing that he was right.

Charles stood up, offering a hand to Raven. "In the meantime, it is getting late, and we should all retire for the evening."

Slowly, they all trickled out of the room, heading to separate bedrooms. Erik waited until he and Charles were alone, before he spoke. "Are we going to be searching for more mutants?" he asked, observing the telepath intently.

Charles considered for a moment, and then shook his head. "I think we should turn our focus to Shaw. We have a good group here."

Erik nodded his head in acceptance, and went in search of his own room.

Charles remained in the common room for another few minutes, before he let out a large sigh and gave into his need to make sure the girl was all right.

_Please review!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: don't own anything you recognize**

Charles quietly headed down the hallway and paused outside the room housing the newest addition to their group. _Jamie_, he reminded himself. It was a nice name.

Pushing open the door, he poked his head in, and took in the sleeping figure for a few moments.

He glanced back into the hallway, and seeing no one around, he threw caution to the wind and entered Jamie's room. He settled himself in the same chair Angel had occupied earlier in the evening, and observed the girl.

She was fifteen, he thought to himself. Not even an adult, and she had been through so much already. He thought about what he had picked up in that animal's mind before he had put him to sleep and placed him somewhere he knew the asshole would be discovered. He couldn't believe her own father had sold her to a man three times her age. He doubted it had been the first time, and if he had to hazard a guess, he would imagine that her father had also taken a few turns himself.

It made him so mad, that people actually did such things to one another. He knew that there were really horrible people out there; he had met his fair share. But it really disgusted him, the kinds of people that existed in this world.

He kept telling himself that his interest in Jamie was purely because he wanted to ensure her welfare, but he couldn't quite deny the fact that she really intrigued him. He had never met anyone who could actually keep him out before. He kind of liked the idea of having someone around that he couldn't read.

He watched her sleep for a while, hoping that he didn't come across as creepy.

After a few minutes, he cleared his throat softly. "Hello, Jamie. It's nice to meet you. I'm sure you'll remember me, and I do apologize for intruding your mind the way I did. I was simply trying to help, though I can see that perhaps I was mistaken." He sighed. "I know that you have been through a lot, but I want to assure you that we are all here, should you need us."

He continued to speak, mostly soothing promises, trying to assure Jamie that everything would be all right. Sometime after midnight, Jamie began tossing and turning, in what Charles clearly recognized as a nightmare. Without even thinking about it, he reached out and grasped her hand. "Jamie? Jamie, wake up. It's just a bad dream, I need you to open your eyes for me."

He kept whispering encouraging words, hoping to calm her enough that she would relax and hopefully wake up. He was slightly alarmed by the distressed expression she was wearing. She kept twisting and turning, and the sheets had very nearly completely trapped her; Charles was surprised she could still move.

After several minutes, Jamie let out a strangled gasp and jerked awake, simultaneously pushing herself to the far side of the bed, away from Charles.

Charles stayed where he was, knowing that she was probably threatened and afraid by his presence. "Jamie? It's all right, it was just a dream."

Jamie looked at him, and Charles recognized it as the same searching look she had given him when he had found her in that house. She was checking for potential threats.

She seemed to decide that he wasn't a serious one, because she relaxed minutely, just enough for Charles to notice. He wanted to help her, but he didn't want to use his powers again, wanting her to be able to trust him beyond simply not seeing him as a threat, and knowing that that wouldn't happen if he tried to force her to relax; he was also wary of attempting to calm her through his abilities after what happened the first time he had tried it. So instead, he just waited until she calmed down, before he spoke again. "Do you remember where you are?" Jamie didn't speak, though Charles had to admit, he didn't really expect her to. He smiled softly. "You're safe here, Jamie. I promise I won't hurt you."

Jamie still seemed wary, but she seemed to believe what Charles was saying. Her gaze softened, and she didn't look quite so guarded.

Charles held in a sigh. "In case you don't remember, my name is Charles." He stopped when Jamie nodded, indicating that she did remember. "All right then," he smiled. "Why don't I tell you a little about the situation." He spent the next ten minutes explaining about Shaw, and his desire to start a war between Russia and America. They had been recruited to assist, since the CIA had discovered that Shaw was a mutant, and they would need some assistance of their own, to combat him. regular humans just couldn't match up to someone with an edge like Shaw had.

"If you want to help, we'll be happy to have you," he finished. "I want to make it clear, however, that I will not force you. It is your decision. If you do not wish to fight, we will arrange something for you. I won't make you go back to your father."

Jamie flinched at the reminder of a man she would never think of as a father. She didn't need Charles to tell her everything, though she appreciated that he was attempting to be thorough. She had gotten everything she needed to know before he had even reintroduced himself – one of the benefits of being a telepath.

Part of her was afraid. Seeing what Charles had, seeing Shaw's face, she wanted to run in the other direction. She had hoped that she would never cross that man's path again. Of course, when she had known him, he had called himself Strauss, but that hadn't made him any less terrifying.

But a larger part of her was angry. This man – Shaw, Strauss, whatever he was calling himself now – was trying to send them into World War Three. No one would be spared from a nuclear war.

Charles let her consider for a few minutes, and was rewarded for his patience when Jamie looked at him, her gaze filled with a determination that almost masked the fear. "I'll help," she said quietly.

Charles nodded, glad for the assistance. He wanted to ask about the fear, but he didn't want to pry. Instead, he turned the conversation to her abilities. "I must say I am glad to meet another telepath," he grinned. "With practice, you should be able to control your powers to not read everyone's mind all the time. It is only polite, after all, to afford your friends their privacy. I can help you, if you wish."

Jamie looked away. "Not every telepath is like you," she replied, her voice contemplative.

Charles frowned. "What do you mean?"

Jamie turned back to him. "It's not something I can just turn off, and believe me, I've tried. You read thoughts. I see them. Worst fears, darkest secrets, hopes and dreams. People think about these things more often than they realize."

Charles was definitely intrigued now. "Can you see what I'm thinking at this moment?"

Jamie looked at him slyly. "You're not nearly as good at shielding your thoughts as you think you are."

Charles was chagrined. "I apologize," he said, only mostly serious. He did have to admit to himself that he was impressed with her power. He couldn't even feel her in his mind, and he was certain he should. When he entered people's minds, if they had any sort of training on shielding, they could normally detect his presence.

Jamie shrugged. "The way I figure it, it's the difference between active and passive. When you go in, you're actively seeking information. What I have is just on all the time – it's passive."

Charles nodded slowly. "It is quite impressive. I must caution you, however. You could do serious damage if you're not careful."

Jamie nodded, a trace of something – guilt or shame, Charles wasn't sure – in the gesture. "Yeah. I can make people do things. A few times, I was able to get some of the guys my dad…" She trailed off, looking at the far wall.

Charles didn't need her to finish the sentence, though, he understood. He rested a hand lightly on her arm. "And the heroin?"

Jamie looked at him sharply, but try as she might, she couldn't see a trace of pity in his warm blue eyes. She dropped her gaze to her lap. "It made everything fuzzy. It was like I could see and feel what was happening, but I couldn't focus on anything specific. I knew there was another person in the room, but I couldn't access his mind. Everything was just… disconnected."

Charles nodded slightly. "How did it start?"

Jamie shrugged with one shoulder, still not looking him in the eye. "He got the idea from… someone he worked with."

She didn't really want to get into the year she had spent with Strauss.

Charles saw a vague image of two men talking in a shadowed corridor. One man handed the other a small vial, saying something about how it would 'keep the girl docile and stop her from using her powers.'

He shook his head to clear it, and squeezed Jamie's arm gently. "You're projecting, Jamie." Jamie started, and looked at Charles. She was clearly trying to hide her mortification, but Charles shook his head. "I don't care about what happened back then, Jamie. I'm just happy that you're safe now."

Jamie frowned slightly, her expression almost confused. "I didn't think people like you actually existed," she commented softly.

Charles smiled, trying not to show his sorrow for what she had gone through. "You're not used to people caring about you, but that will change. We're all here, and you're not alone."

He was a little surprised that he could read her so well, even without seeing inside her head. But he knew what was going on in her mind. Once upon a time, he, too, had felt awe at the idea that someone could actually care about him. He hadn't known what that was like until he had met Raven. Sure, his parents had tried to pretend, but it had all been for nothing once he had developed his powers, and been able to see the lies for what they were. His stepfather had never even tried.

Jamie pursed her lips, but didn't say anything; that slight motion was the only indication Charles had that she had seen his thoughts. He felt a flush of embarrassment that she might actually know about the past he had spent years burying and avoiding. He waited for her to say something about it, but she didn't.

"You got anything to eat around here?" she asked instead.

Charles blinked, startled, and then chuckled. "I'll be right back." He got up and left the room.

True to his word, he returned five minutes later with a sandwich and a glass of water. Jamie fell on the food, ravenous. She couldn't remember the last decent meal she had had.

Charles seemed to understand the issue, because he didn't say anything until Jamie was finished, letting her concentrate on the meal.

It only took Jamie a few minutes to clean the plate. Charles took it from her when it was empty, and waved off her embarrassed "Thanks."

"Don't mention it. I apologize for not getting you something earlier."

Jamie shrugged. She wasn't used to someone actually caring, the way these people did. When had anyone ever apologized for not anticipating something she needed, before?

Charles smiled, setting the plate and glass on the floor. He knew he should probably get some rest, and he should let Jamie get back to sleep as well, but he didn't want to leave.

Jamie seemed to be feeling the same way; she didn't want to go back to sleep and have another nightmare.

As the night continued to deepen, the two spent the time talking about anything and everything. Nothing serious, Charles intentionally steered clear of those topics, but he found himself wanting to get to know Jamie as a person. Her favorite color, foods, things like that. She had such a unique perspective of the world, that hadn't been completely tainted by what she had gone through, something he admired and was frankly in awe of.

Jamie liked getting to know Charles as well. He was a few years older than her, but she felt like she could relate to him better than anyone else. It may have been because she knew he could understand her, but they were also very similar, even beyond both being telepaths.

Finally, around four o'clock in the morning, Charles knew they both had to get at least a little bit of sleep, so he wished Jamie good night, and stood up.

He paused before making for the door. "I know it might seem a little scary, Jamie, but I promise you, we're here for you. Nothing you do or say will make us take you back." Jamie looked down at her lap, a few tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. Charles smiled reassuringly. "You never have to go back."

He left the room, and Jamie brought her knees to her chest, burying her face in her lap. She knew he believed what he was saying, but who was to say everyone else felt the same?

Knowing that worrying wouldn't do anything, she lay down and tried to get back to sleep.

**XXX**

When Jamie woke up, she panicked for a brief moment, before remembering where she was, and the events of the previous day.

Sitting up uncertainly, she looked around the bare room. A pile of cloth on the chair that Charles had occupied the previous evening caught her eye. She reached over and unfolded it to reveal a change of clothes for her to wear. Rather fortuitous, considering she was still wearing nothing more than a tank top and underwear.

She stood up carefully, mindful of the cracked rib she could definitely feel, and slipped on the simple sweatshirt and sweatpants. When she was properly covered, she hesitantly made her way to the door. Poking her head out showed an empty hallway, so she left the bedroom and headed towards where she could feel several minds congregating.

Charles was the first one to notice her presence as she entered the common room. He gave her a smile and invited her to join them for breakfast.

Jamie noted that she was the last one up, as she took a seat in between Charles and Angel. She smiled a shy greeting at the former stripper, and took the offered plate of pastries that Charles passed her.

Jamie hesitantly took a muffin for herself and passed the plate along. She concentrated on peeling the paper around the pastry back, so that she wouldn't have to look at the others, who were all doing their best not to show their curiosity, though it was a hopeless endeavor, considering she knew what they were thinking.

Charles glanced at the rest of the group, and then turned back to Jamie. "Perhaps introductions are in order." Jamie looked up, masking the worry beyond polite interest. Charles smiled. "I don't know if you remember Erik?" Jamie nodded slowly, looking at the metal manipulator, who returned the gesture stoically. Charles cleared his throat. "And you probably remember Angel." Jamie smiled at the former stripper, who reached over and rubbed her back comfortingly. "This is my sister, Raven," Charles indicated the girl, currently in her blonde form. "Next to her is Hank, and that's Alex, and Sean."

Each mutant smiled or nodded a greeting as they were introduced, trying to be friendly. Jamie knew they were worried about having a telepath in their heads, but she decided not to make an issue of it. It was sort of nice, she mused, the way they made an effort to include her in the conversation over breakfast. No one asked about her previous situation, or commented when she answered questions with a shrug or a nod, rather than speak. No one asked what was wrong when her eyes kept darting to the corners of the room, looking for potential threats.

It was weird. Nice, but weird.

_Please review!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize**

After breakfast, Charles and Erik left with Moira, for a meeting at the CIA headquarters. Everyone else settled in, making themselves comfortable on the sofa, or in the lounge chairs.

They spent the entire morning talking, getting to know each other. Angel would measure the success by how they were able to draw Jamie out. She actually started participating after a while. They all enjoyed her sarcastic and honest view. She may have only been fifteen, but she had a way of seeing the world that just cut right through the BS; she didn't lie and she didn't soften the blow. She said what she was thinking, and if you didn't like it, screw you. It was pretty refreshing, in a world where people so often tried to kiss their way to the top.

Around midmorning, the conversation turned to their respective powers. Raven amused them by turning into Sean, successfully conveying the limit of her powers to the rest of them.

She turned back, laughing. "So, Angel, what's your power?"

Angel smirked and stood up. She faced them and concentrated briefly, unfurling her wings for the group to see.

"No way," Raven exclaimed, as Angel lifted off the ground, her wings beating rapidly. "You can fly?"

Angel smiled. "That's not all. Watch this." She sucked in a breath, and then spit something across the room. When they turned to look, they discovered that her spit had burnt a hole in the wall.

"Gross," Sean commented, but he was grinning.

Angel lowered herself back to the ground and let her wings melt back into her body, becoming nothing more than an intricate tattoo once more.

Raven looked around the group for a moment, before focusing on Sean. "What about you?" she asked curiously.

Sean stood up. "You wanna see?" They all nodded, and he bent over, focusing on several glasses they had been drinking out of, set on the coffee table. He glanced around at the group. "I'd cover my ears if I were you." He waited a brief moment for them to comply, before letting out a high-pitched sound that shattered all of the glasses on the table, as well as the large window that overlooked the courtyard.

Everyone uncovered their ears, looking at Sean in awe.

"Awesome," Raven laughed. She then turned to Alex. "What about you?"

Alex glanced at her. "I can't."

"Oh come on," Angel pressed. "We showed you ours."

Alex looked down. "I mean, I can't show you in here. I don't… exactly have control of it."

"Can you do it out there?" Raven pointed at the courtyard.

Alex sighed, and stood up, to cheering from the rest of the group.

He climbed out the now empty window frame and walked to the middle of the courtyard. Glancing back at the group now watching him from the empty frame, he gestured for them to back up. "You might want to take cover," he warned them. None of them moved. He rolled his eyes. "Suit yourself."

Concentrating, he pulled his power up, and tried not to let it overwhelm him as he released it.

The others all dove for cover as the blast of energy. Alex had only meant to cut the statue that stood in the middle of the courtyard in half, but he didn't have the best control, so the blast ended up going in all directions, starting several small fires around the courtyard, and punching a hole in the wall next to the empty window frame.

The group all popped their heads up, and looked at Alex, amazed.

"That was awesome!" Sean laughed.

Alex shrugged and went back to join them. They reclaimed their seats, and Raven looked at Jamie. "So you're a telepath, right?"

Jamie nodded, looking down. "Yeah."

Raven leaned forward. "How far do your powers go? Charles can make people do what he wants, if he ever chose to."

Jamie nodded again, this time uncomfortably. "Yeah, I can do that."

"Can we see?" Sean asked eagerly.

"Sean," Angel warned, not wanting Jamie to do something that clearly made her uneasy.

Sean just shrugged good-naturedly, but a moment later, his expression turned neutral, and he stood up, climbed on the couch, and began doing the hand jive, to the amusement of Hank and Alex, seated next to him.

A few moments later, he stopped and sat back down. A second after that, he came back to himself, and looked at Jamie, amazed and a little fearful. "Wow," was all he could say.

Jamie bit her lip. "Don't ask me to do that again."

It was obvious that she didn't like controlling someone else that way, so they nodded, a little in awe of the power she had.

"We should pick code names," Raven said suddenly, drawing the attention off of Jamie, much to her relief.

"What do you mean?" Angel asked.

Raven leaned forward, her eyes excited. "We're like, agents now. For the secret mutant division! We should have code names!"

Angel shrugged. "Well, Angel is my stage name, and it kind of fits."

Raven nodded. "I want to be called… Mystique."

Alex snorted. "'Cause you're all mysterious?"

Raven glared, and then shifted into him for a moment, before turning back to her blonde form. "I can become anyone at any time. Are you saying I'm not mysterious?"

"Isn't the point of this for us to pick names that we want?" Jamie asked quietly. "If she wants to be called Mystique, she should be called Mystique."

Alex raised his hands in surrender, and Raven turned to Sean. "What about you?"

Sean considered for a moment. "I'm thinking… Banshee."

"Like the wailing spirit? I like it," Raven grinned. "Hank, what about you?"

"How about Bigfoot," Alex snickered.

Jamie glared at him. "Well, you know what they say about big feet," she shot back.

Angel looked at her, horrified. "You did not just say that!" she said. "You're fifteen!"

Jamie shrugged. "I hear things."

Angel shook her head, while the rest of them chuckled.

"All right, Alex, what do you want to be called?" Raven asked.

Alex pursed his lips, considering. "Havok," he said after a few moments of silence. "'Cause that's what happens when I use my powers."

"Nice," Sean complimented.

"So what about you, Jamie?" Angel asked. "You got any ideas on a name?"

Jamie bit her lip and shrugged. "I don't know."

Raven put her chin in her hand, studying Jamie for a few minutes. "How about… Sage."

"Sage? Like the herb?" Sean asked, confused.

Raven looked at him. "No, Sage like, wise, or knowledgeable." She turned back to Jamie. "You know, because you can 'see everything'. You know what's going on in all our heads and all that."

Jamie tilted her head to the side and thought about it. After a moment of silence, she nodded slowly. "OK." She gave the shape shifter a small smile.

They spent a while longer brainstorming ideas for names for Charles and Erik, before deciding to make themselves lunch, as it was afternoon.

After they had eaten, they spent the rest of the afternoon with the music cranked up, having a blast and forgetting about the serious situation with Shaw and the reason they were all there.

**XXX**

When Charles, Erik, and Moira left the CIA headquarters, all three were rather frustrated. It was nice that the Director had admitted that they were right in predicting Shaw's involvement, but now they had to figure out how to stop him. Current Intel put him heading to Russia, so that was their plan.

"They're not ready for this," Erik commented. "They're just a bunch of kids."

Charles sighed. "I know, Erik, but I think they might just surprise you."

Erik's responding look clearly said he'd believe it when he saw it, but at least he didn't voice his doubts out loud.

They headed back to the facility in silence, only broken when Moira's partner Levene told them that they would be leaving for Russia early the next morning, before he left them outside the facility, driving away to his own apartment to pack.

When the trio got to the courtyard, they were greeted with chaos. There were small fires burning around the yard, and the statue was cut in half. The window in the common area was shattered, and there were several holes in the building.

Hank was hanging from the lamp on the ceiling by his feet, his shoes cast aside. Raven was dancing on the sofa, while Angel flittered in a corner. Alex was busy tossing glasses in the air for Sean to shatter one by one.

Jamie was curled up in one of the chairs, not participating, but smiling in amusement at the mutants around her. She was definitely enjoying herself, even if she wasn't actively participating.

Moira, Charles, and Erik stared at the scene for a full minute, before Moira let out a piercing whistle. Hank quickly let go of the lamp, and Angel landed.

Raven got off the couch and turned off the music.

Moira glared at them. "What is going on here? And who destroyed the statue?"

"Alex," Hank said quickly, guiltily.

"No, he's Havok, we have to call him Havok now," Raven cut in. She grinned at her brother. "And we were thinking, you should be Professor X, and Erik should be Magneto."

Erik stared at her, before letting out a huff of air. "Fascinating."

Moira angrily walked away, and Charles just looked sadly at Raven. "I expected better of you," he said disappointedly, before he followed Moira.

Erik gave them one last look of annoyance, before he, too, left.

The rest of them quietly filed out of the common room, heading to their respective bedrooms, feeling some shame and guilt that they had been goofing off when the situation was so serious.

Jamie tossed and turned for a while, trying to get to sleep, before giving it up as a bad job, and making her way back out to the courtyard.

She was surprised to feel the mental presence of Charles in her intended destination, but didn't change her course, and walked through the door leading outside.

Charles looked up as she joined him in an out of the way corner of the courtyard, but he didn't speak as she sat down.

Jamie remained silent for a few minutes, simply enjoying the mild and clear night. So many stars were visible above them, and it was very quiet. If it weren't for the building that surrounded them, she could almost believe that they were out in the countryside. She definitely did not miss the busy streets of the city, where people walked by with blinders on, ignoring a little girl who desperately needed help.

"I'm sorry," Jamie said suddenly. She wasn't sure where it had come from, especially since she hadn't even really participated in the shenanigans that afternoon and evening, but she hated the idea of Charles being disappointed in her.

Charles looked over, startled. "It's all right, Jamie. I'm not angry. I understand the need to let loose a little. Don't worry about it."

Jamie nodded, feeling better. They fell into silence for a few more minutes.

"You're going to Russia tomorrow," Jamie commented, her voice matter of fact as she glanced at him sidelong.

Charles looked at her, surprised, though he supposed he shouldn't be. "Yes," he replied simply. "Erik and I are hoping to stop Shaw before he can do anything."

Jamie bit her lip. "I don't think it will be that simple, but be careful. He's…" She cut herself off and looked down. "I mean, he's probably not going to make it easy."

Charles nodded. "We'll be careful."

Jamie clearly wasn't completely satisfied, but didn't say anything more, and they sat in silence for a while longer, just enjoying each other's company, even if neither one said anything.

Finally, Jamie stood up, stretching to work out the kinks in her back, and wincing at the sharp pain that originated from her chest, reminding her of her cracked rib. She looked down at Charles, who was watching her with a knowing look. She shook her head, praying he wouldn't suggest she take a painkiller or something. "Good night," she said simply.

Charles smiled softly. "Sleep well," he replied, watching as she made her way back inside.

Erik found him a few minutes later. "Shouldn't you be asleep?" he asked, sitting down next to the telepath.

"Shouldn't you?" Charles shot back, glancing at his friend, amused.

Erik shrugged. "Couldn't sleep."

"Thinking about tomorrow?" Charles asked knowingly.

Erik nodded, his gaze hardening at the thought of being within striking distance of Shaw in just a few hours.

Charles sighed, knowing the direction of Erik's thoughts, even if he wasn't actively reading the metal manipulator's mind. "Erik, I know how much this means to you, but please, do not lose sight of the overall goal. We're here to protect the people Shaw intends to hurt."

Erik didn't say anything. He was here for revenge, no matter what Charles said.

After a moment of awkward silence, Erik stood up abruptly. "I'll see you in the morning," he said gruffly, before heading inside.

Charles watched him leave, disappointment and worry warring for the dominant emotion on his face. He knew that Erik wanted – or even needed – to make Shaw pay for what he had done, but his main concern was what killing Shaw might do in the long-term. Shaw perhaps deserved to die, but who were they to pass that judgment? What gave them the right to carry out such a death sentence?

Knowing that he would get no peace from his thoughts, Charles simply sighed and followed Erik inside, resolving to at least attempt to get some rest before he had to go to Russia and hopefully stop a war before it ever began.

_Please review!_


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize**

Early the next morning, the group gathered to say goodbye to Erik and Charles, before they left with Moira and Levene for Russia.

Everything seemed much more serious once the two leaders were gone. No one felt much like partying anymore, so they spent the day in quiet entertainment, only interrupted a few times by agents walking passed the newly repaired picture window in the common room, who leered at them and taunted them.

After the third time, even Raven was having trouble keeping her calm.

"Just ignore them," Hank advised.

Angel glared at him. "I'm used to people staring at me," she commented. "But I'd much rather it be for my body than something out of my control."

Jamie shrugged with one shoulder. "People are people. They fear what they don't understand, and they enjoy making themselves feel important."

"That's not exactly comforting," Alex replied.

Jamie looked at him. "It wasn't supposed to be."

They were starting to think about getting dinner ready, when an alarm started blaring.

Everyone stood up, looking around with concern and a little fear.

"What's going on?" Sean asked, worried.

Raven went over and opened the door. An agent was standing there, but when he saw her, he pushed her back inside the room. "Stay inside!" he ordered.

"What's happening?" Raven queried.

The agent didn't reply.

"Look!" Hank pointed at the window that showed the courtyard.

They all crowded around and watched, fear mounting, as several agents dropped down from the sky, landing with sickening crunches.

Jamie let out a gasp at the tornado that appeared outside, and Raven let out a shriek when one agent landed just outside the window, the ghost of his last scream still etched on his face.

"Get down!" Alex yelled, throwing Jamie to the ground, protecting her from what was to come as he fell on top of her. The rest of them dropped as well, just as the window blew out for the second time in as many days.

The winds outside were moving at an accelerated rate, making it unwise for anyone to venture into the courtyard, not that any of them felt like trying.

They stood up uncertainly, looking around, waiting for the attack.

"Jamie?" Angel asked worriedly, noticing the teenager's sudden terror.

The rest turned and watched as Jamie backed into the far corner, her gaze looking passed all of them and focusing on the door, clearly petrified of something, though they were unsure as to what it was. They were all afraid, of course, but why was she so much more frightened?

When the door opened, they all turned their gazes to the newcomers.

The first one through looked like the devil personified. They recognized him as Azazel, one of Shaw's associates.

A man they knew as Riptide, with the power to call forth tornadoes, stepped through the empty window frame, blocking off a possible escape route.

Both men looked at the door, as Shaw entered. He looked around in curiosity. "Where's the telepath?"

Azazel was the one to reply. "Not here."

Shaw nodded slightly, almost in disappointment. "Too bad. I was so looking forward to trying this out," he gestured to the helmet adorning his head, carved out of some sort of metal.

Jamie knew what it was, only because she couldn't see anything inside his head. It was designed to block telepathic powers.

Shaw focused on the group of mutants watching him warily. "Greetings," he smiled. "As you undoubtedly know, I am Shaw. I have come to offer you a chance. A chance to switch sides, and fight for a cause truly worth believing in."

"And if we say no?" Raven asked shakily, trying to hide her fear while simultaneously shielding Jamie from view. Something about this man terrified the teenager, and she didn't want his attention to be on the girl.

Shaw looked at her. "I would prefer you to come willingly, my dear. After all, why fight for humans who would not do you the same courtesy in return? Why are they worth dying for?" He looked around at the group, searching for an amenable face. To his disappointment, he found none. His sorrow showed on his face. "Perhaps a demonstration is in order." He raised his hands, as if nothing could make him happier, and was about to show them the true might of his powers, when something caught his attention. "It cannot be," he remarked giddily. "Jameson, how wonderful to see you again! You have grown."

A glance at Azazel had the teleporter reappearing behind the teenager, grabbing her arms so that she couldn't get away.

Everyone looked at Jamie, confused, and worried about what Shaw wanted with her.

Jamie struggled against the strong grip Azazel had on her, trying to maintain distance as Shaw casually moved Raven aside and walked up to her.

"I imagine you have grown into a magnificently powerful asset," he observed. "You did show the signs, after all."

Jamie continued to struggle, but was unable to move as Shaw gently moved a finger down her cheek. He smiled, though it did little to reassure anyone in the room. "Welcome to the right side of this war, sweetie. You will be a wonderful addition."

Jamie jerked her head away, glaring at Shaw with everything she had to mask the fear that was quickly consuming her. However, in contrast to her intended goal, Shaw just chuckled. "You'll come to see that I'm right soon enough."

He nodded at Azazel, and the teleporter began dragging a now screaming Jamie out of the empty window, Shaw and Riptide following close behind.

The rest of the group rushed to the frame and watched, terrified as they made their way to the center of the courtyard.

"We have to stop them!" Angel protested.

"How?" Alex asked. "Can you fly in this?" He gestured to the gale-force wind that surrounded the small group.

"We can't just – " Raven was cut off as a blast of pure energy radiated from the center of the blowing winds, where Shaw's group was standing. They all ducked down, waiting a few moments until it seemed as if whatever it was, was over, before they stood back up.

When they looked outside, Shaw, Azazel, and Riptide were gone. A crumpled figure was lying on the grass.

Angel and Raven gasped, and they all ran outside, crowding around an unconscious Jamie.

"Is she all right?" Angel asked worriedly.

Alex reached down and rested two fingers on her wrist. After a few seconds, he looked back up. "She's got a pulse. I think she's just passed out."

"But what happened?" Sean asked, confused.

Raven pursed her lips. "I think that power wave we felt was from her. It probably knocked her out, but she'll hopefully be fine."

"What do we do now?" Hank queried, biting his lip nervously.

Raven glanced around at the group and the destroyed courtyard. "We should get outside," she said. "I don't know if any of the agents here escaped, but we shouldn't stay inside. It's not safe."

They agreed, so Alex bent down and scooped Jamie up, before they all made their way cautiously outside.

"Everything all right?" Raven asked the former prison inmate, catching the thoughtful frown on his face as he set Jamie down on a bench outside, and took a seat himself, maneuvering so that Jamie was using his shoulder as a pillow.

Alex glanced at her, and shrugged. "I'm just thinking this girl needs to eat more."

Sean snorted. "That's what you're thinking about now? What about Shaw? What if he comes back!"

Angel growled. "He's not getting her. I don't care what he wants, I won't let it happen."

Raven bit her lip. "Let's hope he doesn't return any time soon."

"He won't," Jamie whispered, her voice scratchy and exhausted.

"Jamie!" They were all immediately crowded around her, asking if she was all right.

Jamie tried to reassure them, but wasn't sure if she was successful, considering she couldn't even make herself sit up.

She gave up after a few moments, and settled back down.

"How do you know they're not coming back?" Sean asked curiously.

Jamie looked at him tiredly. "I told Azazel not to. They won't be back."

That didn't really clarify much for the rest of the group, but they didn't push any further, as several black cars pulled up, agents piling out. They recognized the head of the facility that had just been destroyed, but didn't know any of the others.

"What happened?" the man asked, looking at the building behind them, which clearly showed signs of a fight. Several walls were missing large pieces, and there were a few fires here and there. Smoke was billowing out of the open door.

Another car pulled up, and Charles and Erik leapt out before it had even parked, rushing towards the group with worried expressions.

"Raven!" Charles called. He was relieved to see that they all appeared to be fine. It had been alarming for him, having felt that something was off as they pulled up the drive leading to the facility, but not knowing quite what it was. Their mission to Russia could best be described as failure. Sure, they had captured Emma Frost, Shaw's right hand woman, but Shaw hadn't been there. They had dropped Emma and Levene off at a prison specially set up for inmates that required… special attention, before they returned to Division X, where the rest of the mutants were staying.

The shape shifter immediately launched herself into her brother's arms, only slightly aware of Moira joining the group as well, having put the car in park so that it wouldn't accidentally roll away on them, since neither of her companions were really worrying about that.

"We're all right," Raven whispered.

"What happened?" Charles asked, studying her to make sure she was telling him the truth, searching for hidden injuries.

Raven bit her lip and tilted her head to the side, a silent invitation.

Understanding, Charles put two fingers to his temple, and watched the scene play out in his sister's mind. It was easier that way, and she wouldn't miss anything important in relaying the story.

He pulled back a few minutes later, and looked over Raven's shoulder. With one last squeezed of his sister's hand, he rushed over to Jamie, who appeared to be trying to sit up once more.

"Are you all right?" he asked, concerned. Alex moved so that he could sit next to her.

Jamie nodded wearily. "I'm fine," she tried to assure him. By the look in his eyes, she knew that he hadn't bought it.

Charles rested a hand on her shoulder. "Don't exert yourself," he advised. "You used so much power to get away from Shaw and the others, that you've nearly tapped yourself out. That's why you passed out. It will take time to recover, so please just relax for now."

Jamie nodded, relieved, and settled back down.

Charles stood up and looked around at the group, his expression guilty. "This is over. I'll make arrangements for you to go back home."

"What do you mean?" Sean asked, confused.

Charles shook his head. "We're done. I apologize for dragging you all into this."

Alex frowned. "So, what? We just go back to our previous lives? I go back to prison, Sean goes back to being the loser who can't get any action – "

He ignored the indignant "Hey!" from the redhead.

Glaring at Charles, he continued. "What about Angel? Did you ask her if she wants to go back to being a stripper?"

"What about me?" Jamie asked softly. Charles looked down at her, his expression pained. Jamie forced herself to sit up. "You told me I never had to go back."

Charles shook his head. "I won't –" he started, but Jamie just stared at him, her eyes wide with hurt.

"You were the one who said we were family. Either we are, and we stay and deal with this, or we're not, and you lied."

Raven sidled up to his side and leaned into him, relaxing in his comforting presence. "She's right, Charles. We're family, you said it yourself."

Alex folded his arms across his chest grimly. "I'm not going anywhere."

Beside him, Hank and Sean nodded in agreement. When Charles turned to Angel, she had the same mulish expression on her face.

He glanced at Erik, and when the metal bender nodded his assent, he sighed. "All right."

Alex smirked triumphantly, and the others looked pleased as well.

Hank glanced at the ruined building behind them. "Where are we supposed to go now, though? We can't stay here."

Charles bit his lip, glancing at Raven. She understood his apprehension, and took his hand, squeezing reassuringly. Comforted, he turned back to the group. "I have somewhere we can stay. We'll need to train, before we can hope to stop Shaw. It'll be a lot of hard work."

Alex nodded. "We know."

Charles let out a small sigh as he looked at Moira, and, understanding, she hurried off to speak with the agent who had brought them to this facility. They watched while she had a brief and somewhat heated conversation with the man, before he slumped slightly in what was clearly acquiescence, and she returned.

"We're all set," she said triumphantly.

Charles nodded. "Let's go." He reached down and helped Jamie stand up, keeping an arm around her waist as they made their way to the car.

_Please review!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize**

When they got out of the cramped car many hours later, it was with shock and amazement.

Sprawled before them was a mansion. No, it was more like a castle, especially to this group, most of whom had lived in less than favorable conditions for most of their lives.

"This is yours?" Sean asked in awe.

Charles shifted uncomfortably. "It's ours," he corrected.

Erik glanced at him. "Honestly Charles, I don't know how you survived living in such hardship."

The metal manipulator filed away his confusion at the way Charles' jaw clenched at the subtle jibe.

Raven, knowing her brother's discomfort, stepped forward. "Well, it was a hardship softened by me," she said primly, drawing attention away from the telepath. "Come on, time for the tour."

She led them inside, pointing out the garden as they passed, and gesturing to various doors that led off of the entrance.

Charles and Jamie were in the rear, Charles still assisting the younger girl, even though she had slept through the entire trip to Westchester, and was feeling much better.

When Raven began to lead them down one of the hallways, Charles begged off, telling them he was going to get Jamie a room, so that she could continue to recover.

Jamie thought about protesting that she was fine, but knew that this was more for Charles than it was for her. It was hard for him to be back here, in a house he had thought – or hoped – he would never have to return to.

Charles glanced at her as they made their way upstairs. _Thank you,_ he said mentally.

Jamie looked at him and shrugged. _You don't like being back here. I get it._

Charles sighed. _It's a little disconcerting, knowing that you know. I had hoped to never tell anyone._

Jamie bit her lip. _I'd say I'm sorry, but it's not really something I can control. _She hesitated. _If you ever want to talk, though, you know I'd understand._

Charles nodded. _The gesture is appreciated, and the offer goes both ways._

They stopped outside a bedroom, and Charles gestured for her to enter. "This is the main family wing," he informed her. "Everyone will pick bedrooms in this hallway. My room will be just down there," he pointed to a room several doors down. "If you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask."

Jamie nodded, and disappeared into the bedroom. It was pretty simple, she noted. The only furniture was a bed, a dresser, and a desk. There was a large bay window that promised a wonderful view of the garden and grounds, complete with a window seat, but Jamie was too tired to do much more than drop down onto the bed.

**XXX**

When Jamie woke up several hours later, she was almost surprised that she had been able to get such a long stretch of uninterrupted sleep. Glancing outside showed it to be late afternoon or early evening, so she got up carefully, still feeling some lingering aches and pains.

Looking around the room showed a pile of clothes on the dresser. Investigating, Jamie discovered it to be several pairs of pants and shirts, most likely some hand-me-downs from Raven.

The pants were too big, but only a couple of inches too long. A belt had been thoughtfully included as well, so it wasn't too much of an issue for Jamie. She slipped on a t-shirt, and left the room.

She made her way down the hall, heading towards where she felt the group congregating, in what she assumed was a kitchen or dining room. It was probably dinnertime, by now.

When she entered the dining room, everyone looked up and greeted her. Charles gestured for her to take the empty seat next to him. "You're just in time, Jamie. I was about to go see if you were awake. Moira has made us supper, and judging by the smell, it will be a wonderful meal."

Jamie smiled at the CIA agent, thanking her as the older woman set a plate down.

They ate in near silence, apart from the compliments on the food, which was quite appetizing.

Moira accepted their praise with humility. Her mother had taught her to cook when she was younger, expecting her only daughter to be a homemaker, the way she had been. Moira knew she disappointed her parents frequently, with her decision to enter the workforce, rather than search for a suitable husband, but at least she could cook for herself, without having to rely on takeout the way so many of her unmarried male colleagues did.

When they were mostly done, Sean asked the question that was on everyone's mind, even if most of them had been tactfully avoiding the subject. "So why did Shaw want you?" he asked, looking at Jamie.

Jamie froze for a fraction of a second, before she forced an answer passed her numb lips. "I don't know."

Sean frowned. "Come on, you have to have an idea. He knew you."

"You must be mistaken," Jamie ground out, her eyes focused on her plate. Her voice was firm with a hint of steel running through it.

To everyone's surprise, Sean nodded contritely. "I'm sorry, you're right. I was wrong."

They stared a Jamie, who refused to meet any of their concerned gazes. Several wanted to continue questioning the teenager, but held back, after seeing what she had done to Sean. He had returned his attention to his plate, and was busy finishing his meal. He didn't appear to realize that anything had happened.

Charles frowned. He could make people do things, but generally, they realized what they were doing as soon as he left their minds. Had Jamie gone a step further, and actually made him believe that what she made him do was right?

Jamie lasted another few seconds, before she decided she didn't want to deal with the stares and worried or fearful thoughts, so she quickly stood up and left the room.

They watched her leave, confused and apprehensive.

Charles sighed. "I would suggest we refrain from pressing her. If pushed too far, she could lash out in a harmful or even deadly way. She's very powerful, it would not be wise to test her control."

They all nodded, not quite reassured, but agreeing to leave her alone for now.

They all worked together to clear the table and clean up, before separating to various evening activities.

Sean and Alex headed to the living room, which had several options for movies, along with the biggest television they had ever seen. Angel went outside to stretch her wings for a while, while Moira and Erik headed up to their bedrooms, and Hank and Raven left in the direction of the laboratory. Hank had had an idea that Raven's blood might prove to be the key in controlling mutation itself, and he was eager to test it out. Raven, though a little apprehensive, consented readily, and did enjoy watching him work. He clearly loved science and experimentation.

Charles wandered around for a while, reminiscing, trying to keep himself from becoming lost in the past. He tried to look at the place as just a manor, stone and wood and nothing more, but it was hard when all he could see in the music room was the closet he had hidden in to avoid being noticed by his stepfather, or the liquor cabinet that had fueled his mother's addiction.

He ended up in the library, and was surprised, as he entered, to find that he wasn't alone.

Jamie was curled up in a comfortable chair, reading what he recognized as a book on molecular biology. He furrowed his brow. "Light reading?" he asked curiously, taking the seat next to hers.

Jamie looked up and shrugged. "It's interesting," she replied, voice devoid of emotion.

That didn't mean that there was none hiding beneath the surface, and Charles could see how close she was to breaking down. He offered her what he hoped was a comforting smile. "How much of that do you understand?" He gestured to the book in her hands, curious about how far she was in her studies. He didn't think she had ever had a formal education, but he wasn't certain.

Jamie glanced at the book. "Enough. I don't like to be bored."

Charles nodded slowly. "Well, help yourself to any of these books you wish. They do no good gathering dust."

Jamie smiled a little. "Thanks. It's an impressive collection."

"Indeed," Charles affirmed, choosing one for himself, and settling in for a relaxing evening. Reading had always been therapeutic for him, no matter the subject. He enjoyed disappearing into the written word for a while, and forgetting his own messed up life around him.

They stayed in companionable silence for several hours, working their way through their chosen books.

When Jamie reached the end of another chapter, she glanced up, watching Charles' nearly relaxed profile. "You don't have to put up with it if you don't want to," she commented idly.

Charles looked over, startled. "Put up with what?" he asked curiously.

Jamie didn't say anything, but Charles felt an image he had long since buried come forward in his mind. He watched as a younger version of himself was pushed down a flight of stairs by his stepfather. He shuddered and pulled himself out of the memory, looking at Jamie reproachfully. "You shouldn't dig through people's minds like that. It's not polite."

Jamie shrugged apologetically. "I didn't really dig." Charles raised an eyebrow. "Some people can turn their powers on and off like you can. I can't. I can see people's worst fears, their deepest secrets, their hopes and dreams." She paused and looked at Charles earnestly. "I won't tell anyone."

Charles nodded, trusting her to keep her word, even though he had only really known her for a few days. "I thank you for that."

Jamie sighed. "Erik only pokes at your 'extravagant' life because he's jealous. He sees this mansion, and it doesn't even occur to him that money doesn't buy everything."

Charles groaned, setting his book aside. "I gladly share everything I have with all of you. I would give it up in a heartbeat – the money, the house, all of it – for a loving family like Erik had, for however short a time."

Jamie nodded. "I get it, Charles. I understand how you feel. But people like Erik don't realize that."

"How do I change that?" Charles asked curiously, interested to hear her thoughts.

Jamie shrugged. "He'll come around. I know you don't want people to know about your parents, but he'll change. He'll figure it out eventually."

Charles shook his head slightly, wishing it would happen sooner rather than later. It had only been one day, and Erik had already gotten under his skin with the number of comments on Charles' 'privileged childhood' he had made just since their arrival that morning.

"He was my stepfather," Charles said abruptly, feeling the need to explain. And he didn't want the idea of that bastard being thought of as his father, ever.

Jamie nodded. "I know," she said simply. "Your mom remarried after your father's death. Kurt, that was his name, right?" Charles inclined his head, uncomfortable. "He was your father's business partner."

Charles bit his lip. "He killed my father. They said it was an accident, but you can't fool a telepath. I saw it in his mind. He set it up so that he could marry my mother and have access to our fortune. I was ten."

Jamie rested a hand on his arm, rubbing small circles comfortingly. "He got what he deserved."

Charles nodded. A memory – the fire that had killed Kurt and Cain, Kurt's son, and burned down a portion of the manor – flashed through his head. He sighed glumly, rubbing a hand across his face. "I never proved it, but part of me always wondered if Raven had started that fire." Jamie made a questioning noise, and Charles looked at her. "He was drunk that night, and going too far. He wasn't going to stop, I could see it in his mind. I wasn't completely in control of my abilities at that point, so I couldn't make him stop. I believe Raven did the only thing she could think of to save my life that night."

Jamie smiled sadly, not relinquishing her grasp on Charles' arm. He truly appreciated the gesture, and the way she was supporting him. She was a good listener, he thought randomly.

Jamie's slight smirk was the only indication that she had heard that thought.

After a moment of silence, Jamie shifted in her seat. "You know, what your father did wasn't right, either."

Charles made a choking sound, startled at the mention of a man he had lost so many years earlier.

Jamie shrugged. "I know he was a good man, but it wasn't right."

From somewhere in the back of his mind, an image of his father swam forth, telling him to stay still, and that it wouldn't hurt if he didn't struggle. The lab around them was blurry and out of focus, but he didn't need the setting to know where that memory took place. Charles swallowed harshly. He forced himself to relax, and turned to Jamie again. "Clearly, you know more about my life than anyone else. I do appreciate your promise to keep your knowledge to yourself, though you must understand that it is uncomfortable for me, to have someone else so aware."

Jamie nodded. "I'm sorry. Like I said, I can't really turn it off, but it's sort of nice, knowing that there's someone else that I can actually relate to."

Charles sighed. "You've been through so much more than I can imagine. If you ever need to talk, about your father, or… well, anything else, please feel you can come to me."

Jamie nodded again, and watched as Charles stood up. Her voice called out to him, stopping him before he could open the door. "Erik might appreciate knowing that you can relate to him, as well." He glanced back at her, and she raised her hands in mock defeat. "Just a thought."

Charles didn't reply as he left the library.

Jamie waited until the door closed before she let her expression drop. She knew it was late, and she should be getting to bed, but she was afraid. She hadn't seen Shaw in over eight years. Back then, he had called himself Strauss, but his personality had not changed. She was terrified of letting her mental barriers down in sleep, and being bombarded by memories. She had blocked it all off for years, but that was more because she had other issues to deal with, that required more of her attention and focus, and she just couldn't let herself drown in the horrible memories.

Finally, some time after midnight, she knew she couldn't stay up any longer, so she reluctantly put her book away and went to bed.

_Please review!_


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize**

_A young girl of about six or seven lay strapped to a metal table. Her arms and legs were bound to prevent her escape, though it probably wasn't needed. One look at the girl would tell anyone with half a brain that she was in no shape to attempt an escape, even if her limbs were free._

_OoO_

_The girl was bound to the table again, but this time, there was a man with her. He was leaning over her, injecting something into her arm. When she struggled, he rested a hand on her shoulder, firmly telling her to relax, and that it would only hurt more if she didn't._

_OoO_

_The girl and the man were now in a different room. The girl's arms were stretched above her, shackled to the ceiling. Cuffs around her ankles tied her to the ground as well, and she was unable to move. She was wearing a tattered pair of pants and a flimsy t-shirt, though it appeared the shirt wouldn't hold up much longer, as the man ruthlessly rained a whip down on her back. It was obvious that she was attempting to muffle her screams, with only partial success._

_OoO_

_The girl was now in a cell, curled into a ball to ward off the chill of the dungeon-like room. A man entered and dragged her out by her arm, not pausing when a sickening popped echoed down the hall, indicating that her arm had been wrenched out of its socket._

_OoO_

_Two men were talking in hushed whispers, the girl being held firmly by the newcomer. He had similar features to the girl, most likely her father or a relative._

"_That's the deal. One year," the man confirmed._

_The other man, the one from the previous scenes, nodded. "One year will be sufficient."_

"_I won't have to deal with her at all, yeah? And you'll fix it, right?"_

_The second man nodded. "I believe I will be able to determine the source of your issues with your daughter, and develop a suitable course of treatment."_

_The first man looked satisfied, and thrust the girl away from him. "She's all yours, Strauss."_

_OoO_

_Another flash, strapped to a table, needles in her arm, consciousness slipping in and out of focus._

_The man, her jailor, _Strauss_, whispering what he clearly thought were comforting words. Running a hand down her cheek, through her hair, down her arm._

_OoO_

_The girl looked a little older now, perhaps a year or so. The relative-man – her _father_ – was back._

_Strauss handed him a small vial of a clear liquid. "You should find her suitably more trained, now. Should you need to control her, I have found that heroin will dull her senses and lessen her ability to make trouble."_

_The other man nodded, glaring at the young girl. "Good."_

_Strauss inclined his head, smiling genially. "It was truly my pleasure. You have a most… interesting… daughter, Mr. Arnett."_

**XXX**

Charles let out a gasp as he pulled himself into wakefulness. All around him, he could feel the others' turbulent emotions as they all startled themselves awake.

He hurriedly threw on a shirt and stepped into the hallway.

Alex, Sean, Angel, Erik, and Moira poked their heads out, eyes wide and confused.

"What just happened?" Sean asked, rubbing his eyes as he tried to slow his breathing. That… was it a dream? Whatever it was, it had left him terrified.

Raven stepped into the hallway, and met Charles' worried gaze immediately. She nodded knowingly. Before Charles had learned to shield his mind and control his powers, she had been woken up by his nightmares many times.

Charles sighed. "You should get some rest. I'll deal with this."

He quickly made his way to Jamie's room and entered, closing the door firmly behind him.

"Ok, but what just happened?" Alex asked, wanting an answer.

Raven bit her lip. "You would think it'd be cool, having the ability to read people's minds. They never tell you about the downsides."

"Care to give us an explanation we'll understand?" Erik asked testily. It was four o'clock in the morning, and he wanted to get back to bed. All right, if he was being honest with himself, he wanted to make sure that Jamie – because he recognized the teenager as the young girl he had seen at the mercy of Shaw, Strauss, whatever he called himself – would be all right.

Raven shook her head. "It's called projecting. When a telepath doesn't have firm control over their mental barriers, sometimes they unconsciously project their thoughts or dreams out, for anyone nearby to see. I think Jamie's barriers were weakened after what happened in Virginia, which is why we were able to see… that."

She shuddered, remembering what she had witnessed. They were all discomforted. Sure, they had all known that there was some sort of history with Shaw, based on what had happened at the facility, but that? None of them had been ready to see all that.

**XXX**

Charles quickly made his way to Jamie's side, noting the way she was tossing and turning, moaning in what he knew to be fear. She was sweating, and he was certain he saw tears leaking from her eyes.

He took a seat on the edge of the bed and reached out for her arm, trying to get her to stop moving. He remembered her still healing cracked rib, and worried that she may further injure herself if she wasn't careful.

"Jamie," he called out, his voice gentle but firm. "Jamie, wake up. You're having a bad dream, please, it's not real. I need you to wake up."

Jamie continued to toss, but she seemed to be calming down a little. She was still crying, and he was able to make out a whispered "No," and "Please," which did nothing to reassure him.

He shook her arm lightly. "Jamie, you need to wake up."

It took a few more minutes of him pleading, but Jamie suddenly jerked herself to full wakefulness, twisting away from Charles in fright for a moment, before she recognized where she was and relaxed.

"Jamie?" Charles asked hesitantly.

Jamie let out a gasp and lost the battle, tears flowing freely as she buried her head in her lap.

Charles scooted closer and rubbed her back comfortingly. "It was only a dream," he whispered soothingly.

Jamie shook her head slightly, whimpering. _It wasn't_, she answered, her mental voice filled with exhaustion and desolation.

Charles wished he could do something to help, but he wasn't sure if his presence was making it better for the younger girl. After a few more minutes, she had calmed down even more. Charles continued to rub small circles on her back. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked softly, hoping he sounded supportive.

Jamie shook her head quickly. Charles nodded understandingly. "If you want to, you know where to find me."

Jamie nodded and looked at him. "How did you know?" she asked, her voice cracking at the end.

Charles bit his lip, not wanting to tell her what had happened. Of course, the problem with telepaths is that you can't exactly keep a secret from them.

Jamie winced, seeing her projection through Charles' mind. "I can't believe I did that," she groaned, letting her head fall into her lap once more.

Charles shook his head firmly. "None of us blame you. I understand, and I'm certain that everyone else does as well."

Jamie was not reassured, but allowed Charles to guide her so that she was lying down properly once more. When she tried to protest him tucking her in, he got firm. "You need your rest. I'll stay until you fall asleep, all right?"

It was a testament to how much Jamie actually trusted him, that she was all right with him staying. Normally, she would not want someone, especially a man, to be in her room if she wasn't awake and able to get away if the situation called for it.

Charles held her hand comfortingly, humming a lullaby he vaguely remembered his mother singing to him, before the alcohol had taken precedence in her world, and she had taken to ignoring her son.

Soon enough, Jamie's breathing evened out, an indication that she had fallen back asleep. Charles waited a few more minutes before he felt he could leave.

He hesitated briefly, before bending over and planting a gentle kiss on her temple. "Sweet dreams, Jamie," he whispered, before squeezing her hand softly and standing up.

He was startled, when he exited Jamie's room, to find that no one had heeded his request that they all go back to sleep.

They were all waiting for him, wearing expressions ranging from worry to apprehension to anger, though the last was very well hidden on Erik's face, and Charles knew that it was anger for what Shaw had done to a sweet, innocent girl, rather than anger over the current situation.

"How is she?" Angel asked quickly, the first to notice his presence.

Everyone else snapped to attention, their focus on the telepath.

Charles sighed. "Asleep. She'll be fine."

"I should apologize," Sean said softly. They looked at him, and he shrugged. "I mean, I wanted to know how she knew Shaw, but I shouldn't have pushed. I didn't think…"

He trailed off, but perked up a little when Charles rested a hand on his shoulder. "Guilt does nothing productive," he said softly. Glancing around at the others, he shook his head slightly. "You should all get some rest. We've got a large task ahead of us, and very little time to prepare."

Without waiting for any protests, Charles moved passed all of them, and disappeared into his own room.

The rest looked at each other, before acquiescing and returning to their respective bedrooms for what was left of the night.

**XXX**

When everyone gathered, bleary-eye, for breakfast the next morning, Jamie was a noticeable absence. No one commented on it, hoping that she was getting some much-needed rest, and not quite ready to face her after witnessing one of her deepest nightmares. There had been a reason she hadn't told them, after all. None of them doubted that she would happily have gone her entire life without them knowing the extent of her history with Shaw.

After breakfast, Charles was quick to organize them into some training. He told them to work on some exercises, while he took Alex with him, down to a bunker his stepfather had built underneath the manor, when the threat of nuclear war had just been breaking.

They all spent their morning working hard. Sean and Alex went for a run around the grounds, while Angel practiced some evasive maneuvers in the air. Moira disappeared to her room, to do something CIA-related, and Raven headed up to the weight room. After some hesitation, Erik decided to go find somewhere with a lot of metal, to see if he could perfect his skills any further.

Jamie waited until nearly noon before she built up enough courage to leave her room. She had woken up after just a few hours of restless sleep, but hadn't felt like she could face the rest of the group, not after what they had seen the night before.

She instead spent the morning curled up on the window seat in her room, studying the vast grounds. She caught glimpses of Angel flying around, and Hank and Sean seemed to be running laps around the manor.

Finally, her boredom convinced her that she should just face the music, so she put on a clean shirt, and left the comfortable bedroom.

She wandered around, taking a small tour of the manor, since she had missed the tour Raven had offered the previous day.

Speaking of, she stumbled across the shape shifter in what appeared to be a weight room, at the end of the hallway that joined with the hallway where all of their bedrooms were located.

Raven noticed her presence before the teenager could back out, and set the weights she had been lifting down. "Jamie," she smiled. "Want to join me?"

Jamie glanced around at the weights in the room and shrugged. Raven, sensing her discomfort, tried to be as welcoming and friendly as possible.

Jamie sat down hesitantly, picking up a pair of free weights and holding them in her hands, not attempting to do any exercises. She was surprised not to see anything other than genuine concern in the shape shifter's thoughts. No pity, no disgust. Just compassion. Well, there was a bit of anger there as well, underneath the rest, but Jamie was shocked to realize that it was all directed at Shaw, not her. She caught what she thought was a fantasy of Raven tearing Shaw limb from limb, before she forced herself to pull out, and looked away.

Raven watched her knowingly. "I've lived with a telepath for years, you know," she commented. "Charles promised he'd never read my mind without my consent, but I know you can't exactly help it."

Jamie nodded guiltily. "I can keep out enough to stop myself from getting overwhelmed, but it's impossible for me to turn it off completely."

Raven smiled in understanding. "If you need help, Charles could definitely give you some pointers. He used to project as well, but he stopped when he mastered his powers."

Jamie shrugged. "I'm usually better at keeping the nightmares to myself. My barriers were just a little shaky after what happened…" She trailed off unsteadily, and Raven reached out, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"I have to say, I'm surprised you already have barriers. Charles was at least eighteen before he had fully gotten control of his powers. And he did say that you might need some coaching to stop reading minds all the time. I guess he just figured your ability would be the same as his."

Jamie nodded. "Yeah, he already apologized for making that assumption. My power is pretty much under control. I always see things in people's minds, no matter how hard I try not to."

Raven was trying to understand, even though she really didn't like the idea of someone inside her head without her permission.

Jamie smiled slightly, knowing what the shape shifter was thinking. "I'm good at keeping secrets," she said softly. "I'd never tell anyone anything I learn. It's your head, not mine."

Raven chuckled weakly. "I appreciate that, Jamie. And if you need anything, I'm around." Jamie nodded again, and stood up. Raven's voice called out as she reached the door. "It wasn't your fault, Jamie." Jamie turned around, looking confused. Raven sighed. "What happened. Your father, Shaw. Or Strauss, whatever he's calling himself this week. None of that was your fault. And I'm sorry."

Jamie, studying her earnest expression, knew that Raven wasn't apologizing for what had happened, or for her feelings over having someone inside her head. It was more of an apology that Jamie's sordid past was no longer a secret. The shape shifter knew how much Jamie wished they hadn't seen what they had.

The teenager smiled softly, her eyes much older than they should be. "Thanks," she whispered, before turning around once more and leaving the room.

She immediately returned to her room, and stayed there all afternoon.

Charles found her around dinnertime, and convinced her to exit what she had come to think of as a sort of sanctuary. "No one will judge you, Jamie. But you need to eat something."

Jamie sighed, but consented to be pulled up off her bed, and led down to the dining room.

There was definitely tension in the air as she sat down at the table, but no one said anything about the previous night, not wanting to upset Jamie.

It was amazing to the teenager, as she listened to the banter that flew across the table about their day of training. Having an inside track to what people were really thinking, she always knew if someone was just pretending.

But these people weren't. Nothing in their thoughts indicated that they thought she was a burden, or not worth the trouble. There were no hidden feelings about how she probably deserved it, or that they wished Shaw had taken her with him back in Virginia. There was no anger about her waking them up in the middle of the night. It was almost like they thought she was worth caring about.

Jamie wasn't used to people caring. She wasn't sure how she felt about it, but she supposed it was probably a good thing. Or at least, she felt like she might come to realize that at some point.

Jamie knew that she was worrying several people with her silence, but she wasn't sure she could force herself to participate in any conversation just yet. Being a part of a group like this was very strange. Normally, her days consisted of being used as a punching bag or a bed warmer for her father. Actually, that wasn't exclusive to him. Whomever he decided to sell her to for the night – or day, these people weren't really picky – more often than not chose to give her instructions with fists, rather than words.

People wanting to talk to her, to include her, it just wasn't normal for her. These people all had their own issues, she had seen it in their minds, but they were all able to come together and work towards a common goal, even making friends in the process.

Alex had been in and out of foster homes since his parents had been killed when he was eight. He had been separated from his younger brother after their fourth home, and he constantly worried about whether or not Scott was even alive. He had turned to petty crime to support himself, slipping in the odd fight here and there just to shake things up.

Angel had learned early on that people were going to sexualize her, so she had just played to that strength. She had become a stripper because it paid good money, and she had the body. If men were going to stare at her, she may as well give them a reason and get paid for it. Jamie could see past all that, though, and knew that she had been knocked off of any other path when her high school boyfriend had forced her to have sex with him before she was ready, and then dumped her when his parents had found out that he had been engaging in relations with a girl from the wrong side of the tracks. They were socialites, and wealthy young men did not pursue girls like Angel, with barely a nickel to her name. Upstanding members of their community, they had ensured that Angel would not be welcome in their town anymore, so she had run away, ending up living on the streets in a large city several states away. Turning to prostitution was really the only option she had had.

Erik had lost his parents and siblings in a concentration camp in Germany. Jamie knew that he could relate to her quite well, having also been at the mercy of Strauss – or as he had called himself at that time, Schmidt. Having his mother killed in front of him because he couldn't make a simple coin move across a desk had inspired in the metal bender a desperate need for revenge that had spanned almost two decades.

Hank and Sean both had relatively normal lives, all things considered. Sure, Hank could never wear sandals, and Sean had yet to kiss a girl, but other than that, there was no real darkness to their minds.

Raven, on the other hand… Jamie had seen how she had entered the Xavier manor that night, when Charles was twelve, pretending to be Mrs. Xavier. Jamie had seen the years on the street, being cast out of her own home because her parents couldn't stand to look at her. She could see the years of fear at watching the things Kurt Marko had done to Charles and his own son, Cain. She could see the things Cain had done to his stepbrother. She saw the absolute trust that Raven placed in her brother, who had used what control he had over his gift to modify his family's minds into believing that Raven had always been there. She saw the way Charles protected Raven from being hurt, even when it cost him an extra beating.

Jamie saw all of this, and admired the way they were able to move past the hardship and focus on the future. Every time she tried, she just got hung up on the 'getting over it' part. How was she supposed to move on?

Was it even possible to forget years of abuse and being treated like dirt?

Jamie had to hold in a snort at that thought. Of course it wasn't possible. The question wasn't whether or not she could forget it. It was whether or not she had enough strength to admit that she was broken, and accept the help that those around her were clearly willing to offer. If she just let herself believe that it was possible that the whole world wasn't like her father and his 'friends', she might find that she could move on the way they all had.

The problem was trusting that they wanted to help, to be there for her. She had trusted before, and had been let down. Strauss had told her that he would take care of her. She had tried to be a good girl the way he wanted her to be, but somehow, she always did something wrong, and he would punish her. After everything her father had done, she had just figured it was easier not to give people that amount of power. If you never let them in, they never disappoint you.

So why was it so easy for her to consider breaking that rule with these people? Why was it so easy for her to talk to Charles?

She looked up, startled, at the sound of telepath's voice. From the concerned expressions on everyone's faces, it hadn't been the first time Charles had called her name.

"Yeah?" she asked, clearing her throat when it came out raspier than she had intended.

Charles studied her for a moment, before deciding that she had just been lost in thought, and nothing was actually seriously wrong. "I asked if you were finished."

Jamie flushed lightly, and nodded, mumbling a thank you when he took her plate and added it to his pile of dirty dishes.

Erik amused them all by manipulating all of the metal on the table and bringing it to the kitchen. Alex let out a poorly muffled snort when several forks dropped to the floor, and Erik had to pick them up by hand.

Jamie watched the easy banter, the way the group teased each other good naturedly, but without an ounce of actual malice behind the gestures, and thought that with time, she really could become a part of this.

_Please review!_


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize**

The week passed busily, with each of them working hard to train and develop their respective gifts. Hank had finally seemed to accept the beast within, and appeared to be learning the limits of what his mutated feet could do. He also spent a lot of time in the lab, studying Raven's DNA, trying to see what the confines were. He had accepted that he was a mutant, but he still wished he could turn it off, and look normal when he wanted.

He also devoted a lot of time to a new project: uniforms, for all of them. He was designing special uniforms that would match their powers. He had gotten the idea from Alex's failed progress. The former inmate had nearly blown a hole through a nuclear fallout shelter, because of his inability to center his power on a specific target. So Hank was designing something that would funnel the energy in a focused beam. The early prototype had proven somewhat successful, so he was expanding the idea.

He had also spent many hours working on Sean's suit, after Charles had come to him with the idea that the teenager's sonic bursts could be used to make him fly, if he had something to help him catch the wind right.

Sean had been very wary, not helped by his first attempt that ended with him diving headfirst into the bushes, but soon he was growing into the idea. Though he would definitely be maintaining his distance from Erik, from here on. He didn't care if it had worked, he refused to fully trust someone who would push him off of a gigantic satellite dish.

Charles had even been able to help Erik expand his powers, getting him to find his focus so that he could concentrate on gaining finer control and allowing him to have success on moving larger objects, so that if the need arose, he might be able to actually lift the submarine this time, the way he had failed to do the night Charles had met him.

Charles and Jamie spent some time discussing mental barriers, but Charles knew that the younger girl didn't need much work at developing her powers. She was pretty solid already. So instead of working during the day, they fell into a routine of meeting in the library each evening, and talking about whatever they felt like.

It was a little startling for Charles, to realize how easy this was, being with Jamie. He loved spending time with her, he loved that he couldn't see inside her head, and he loved how honest she was. Even though he couldn't see what she was thinking, he knew that she always told him the truth.

He was falling for her. He knew it, as much as he tried to deny it. He also couldn't deny the guilt. He had no business falling for a teenager! He was twenty-two, for Christ's sake. But she was so much more mature than most fifteen year olds. It was easy to forget that she was six years younger than him.

Especially when they stayed up late talking about molecular biology, and physics, and subjects that Charles hadn't even learned about until he was in his final year of studying for his advanced degree. He marveled several times over the intellect of this girl, considering she had never had any formal education.

She was even able to give him some pointers on his control over his abilities, and he tried not to feel too disgruntled, as she gave him a few ideas on how to build stronger walls to keep her out. He did think it would work, though, so he promised to try it. As she had pointed out, it wasn't just about the strength of his outer wall. If he built smaller rooms within his mind, and protected those, it would be harder for her to see what he put inside.

The group made sure to spend time all together, as well. Conversations over dinner turned into after-meal debates, where they tested each other's idea on various topics and overall learned more about each other.

One such conversation, a few days after their arrival at the manor, focused on their abilities, and how they had learned some measure of control, before coming to Westchester.

In general, mutations manifested around puberty, in some way or another. As Charles informed them, according to his research, in most cases, the earlier a power developed, the stronger that power would be, and the more powerful the mutant.

That led to some pleading on how and when each of them had developed their gifts. Sean, Alex, Angel, and Hank were relatively normal, in that they had all developed their abilities around thirteen. Some of the stories on how they had found out were rather amusing to the rest, though they could see how it would have been horrifying back then.

Raven, of course, had been born different, but it would make sense for her to be incredibly powerful. She did, after all, have the ability to shift into any persona she desired.

Erik, when pressed, admitted that he had realized his powers at eleven, under stress. Charles and Jamie knew that he had first shown his abilities when faced with the separation of his family. It was bittersweet for him, since developing that power had also led to the interest of Schmidt and the death of his mother.

Erik refused to say more about it, and they turned to look at Charles, eyes eager. The telepath sighed, rolling his eyes exasperatedly. "I was nine," he informed them, to some surprise, though most of them realized that he was an exceptionally strong telepath, so it would make sense that he manifested early. "I thought I was going crazy, at first, with all the voices in my head." He shook his head, remembering those terrifying times. "It wasn't for a while that I realized that all the voices were in everyone else's heads."

"That sounds sort of creepy," Sean commented. He turned to Jamie. "Was it like that for you?"

Jamie shrugged. "The voices have pretty much always been there," she admitted. "I don't remember exactly when it started."

Hank stared, wide-eyed. "Most people develop their mental acuity around five or so. Theoretically, you would have had to be younger than that, to not remember a time before your abilities."

Jamie shrugged again. She had never really thought about it.

The rest remembered the nightmare they had seen several days earlier. The girl in those images had appeared to be a Jamie of about six or seven. She had had her powers then, and had probably had them for years before that. It was rather amazing. Just how powerful was she?

Jamie was clearly uncomfortable with the attention, so Charles artfully maneuvered the conversation away from her. The rest followed willingly, though not without casting more awed looks at the teenaged telepath.

**XXX**

They gathered around the television to hear the President's speech the next night, and it was accepted by all of them that they would find Shaw in the middle of the crisis that was developing in Cuba.

When the President finished, Moira turned off the television, and the room lapsed into silence for a few minutes.

Finally, Charles spoke. "It's going to be a difficult task, but I believe we can apprehend Shaw." 

Erik glared at him, reminding the telepath of his own agenda. "You cannot seriously believe that Shaw deserves to live." His angry gaze slipped over to Jamie for a brief moment, reminding Charles of her own sordid past. He had seen how much Charles seemed to care for Jamie, and hoped that, perhaps reminding him of everything Shaw had done might make him more willing to end the bastard, once and for all.

Charles clenched his jaw, knowing what Erik was attempting to do. But he had morals, and he knew what he was and wasn't willing to do. "That is a separate issue, Erik. Whether or not I believe that Shaw deserves to die does not mean that I believe it to be the best or wisest course of action. We can still co-exist with the humans. Murder is not the answer."

Erik almost growled in annoyance. "You said it yourself, Charles, in that thesis of yours." Charles raised his eyebrow, and Erik shrugged, suddenly embarrassed. "Yes, I read it. You said that we were the next evolutionary step. Therefore, we are better than them."

Charles frowned. This seemed to have shifted topics. He shook his head. "That doesn't mean we can just go about killing whomever we please."

"And they do any better?" Erik queried rhetorically. "They would wipe us all out if they had the chance. We need to show them why they shouldn't."

Charles knew he wasn't making much headway against Erik's beliefs, and the rest of the group was watching them like a tennis match. "Erik, you're talking about striking down anyone who stands in your way. How does that make you better than Shaw?"

Erik flinched, but refused to yield. "We are the future. The humans should realize that. You and I will never agree, because you naïvely believe that we can co-exist in peace."

Charles grit his teeth, remaining calm. He wasn't naïve; he just believed that it could happen. Even if Erik didn't know it, he had experienced his share of hardship. The blinders that Erik assumed he wore had been stripped away at an early age. He just chose to believe the best in people. Not everyone was like Moira, but not everyone was like Shaw, either.

Erik shook his head, exasperated. "We shouldn't have to hide. You think that Raven looks better when she's blonde, because that looks _normal_. You think that we should all attempt to blend in, don't you."

Raven made a sound of annoyance. "Don't bring me into this," she protested.

Charles looked at her, briefly wondering if that was what she thought. She shook her head slightly, and he felt better, knowing that this was just coming from Erik. "Raven could be orange with green polka dots, and I wouldn't care," he glared at Erik. "She's my sister, and I love her no matter what she looks like. But not everyone thinks that way, and if the world isn't ready for me, it certainly isn't ready for her."

Erik was momentarily speechless, realizing that perhaps he had miscalculated. He had made several assumptions about the telepath, that maybe he shouldn't have.

When the metal bender didn't reply, positively or negatively, Charles shook his head. He knew he wouldn't be able to change Erik's mind, and he refused to force anyone into anything. Despite everything, Erik was his friend, and he wanted to help him down a different path, not drag him. He glanced at the others, who were listening intently, though he could tell that they weren't quite sold on what Erik was saying.

Jamie leaned forward slightly, her eyes bright and intense, as she shifted her body to get comfortable, curling her feet underneath her. "Humans fight us because they fear us. They fear what they don't understand."

Erik nodded quickly, happy that someone else appeared to agree with him. "Exactly."

Jamie shook her head. "That doesn't make them inferior or substandard. It just makes them different. There will always be hierarchy; humans, mutant and not, will always want to push themselves up." She sighed. "People are people, whether or not they possess the mutant gene. Even if we had our own society, there would still be those who seek to rule, because that's human nature. To fight what you don't understand, to reach out for power, whether or not you deserve it." She bit her lip. "What you're talking about sounds like waging war on the humans. But what about the ones who never did anything? Would you kill anyone who looked at you wrong? Would you kill entire families for the crime of being human?"

Erik looked slightly chastised, and didn't have an answer.

"Why do they fear us so much?" Sean asked, frustrated.

Jamie looked at him, her eyes showing a weariness that seemed out of place in a fifteen year old. "Look at what we can do. Raven could transform herself into anyone. Who's to stop her from becoming the president, and ordering a nuclear strike on any country she desired? She could start World War Three, and no one would know the difference." She glanced at Erik. "Erik has control over metal, he could take over all of the weapons in an army and turn them on their wielders. Charles and I can get inside people's heads and make them do whatever we want." She shook her head. "They fear us because they're human. Because they knew what they would do if they had that kind of power." She turned back to Erik. "Pointless violence does nothing but prove their point. Some people deserve to die, but do we deserve to be judge, jury, and executioner? Charles is right. How does that make us better than Shaw? How does that make us better than the people who killed your family?"

She didn't wait for an answer, and stood up to leave.

Once she was gone, the rest of the group lapsed into silence for a while, considering her words. Where Charles hadn't had much success, Erik appeared to actually be considering what Jamie had said.

She was right, he realized. He wanted to kill Shaw, but more important to him was securing his future. If reigning himself in would help, he had to consider it.

He wasn't worried about killing someone. He had done that before, always to people who deserved it. But Jamie's point of view made a lot of sense. How was he better, if he was considering killing people who had never done anything to deserve it? So far, he had limited himself to former Nazis, men who had committed horrible crimes, people who had been able to lead him closer to Shaw. But what about the rest? Would he really persecute people just because they were human? How did that make him better than the Nazis? He had been persecuted for being Jewish, something he couldn't control.

As they broke up, heading for bed, Erik was hit by the realization that he had been walking down the same dark path as those he had killed for their crimes. It wasn't like humans could control their lack of mutation. As long as they didn't try and kill him, or any of the others, he should be willing to let them go.

But he still believed that Shaw deserved to die.

_Please review!_


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize**

The night before they were to depart for Cuba, Charles and Erik found themselves in the library, talking over a chess match.

The conversation remained innocent for a while; it wasn't until Charles was less than five moves away from checkmate that Erik sat back with a heavy sigh. "If I were to admit that perhaps I was wrong, would you hold it over me forever?"

Charles glanced up and smiled slightly. "Not forever," he replied, an amused tone in his voice.

Erik leveled a glare at the telepath, though it lacked enough heat to make Charles nervous. After a moment, he dropped the glare and rested his chin in his hand. "I've been planning my revenge so long, I don't know how to stop."

Charles leaned forward slightly. "What was it that made you change your mind, if I may ask?"

Erik bit his lip. "Jamie's right. You are as well, but her words made more sense. Was I really thinking about turning into the same men who persecuted me for something outside of my control? What gives me the right to kill people simply for being human?"

Charles smiled again, this time a little wider. "I'm proud of you for realizing this, Erik. And trust me, you have the ability to stop, if you believe you do."

He moved his queen forward several spaces. "Checkmate." With a smirk, he stood up and left the room.

Erik stayed, thinking about what the next day would bring. Jamie interrupted his musings shortly after Charles had left. She took his vacated seat and folded her legs under her, observing the metal manipulator quietly.

After several minutes, she picked up one of the chess pieces and played with it absentmindedly. "I want him dead too, you know," she commented suddenly, her voice shattering the uneasy silence. "After everything he's done, yeah, I think he should die. But I don't know if I could live with myself after taking someone else's life."

Erik leaned forward. His gaze was intense as he looked at the younger girl. "But think about the lives that you would save by killing Shaw."

Jamie stared at him, studying him. Her bright blue eyes were filled with something that Erik couldn't identify. "How did you get on this idea of mutant superiority?" she asked abruptly.

Erik leaned back in surprise, not expecting the question. He considered for a moment, thinking back, before he started, realizing just where the idea had come from. Schmidt had spent a good deal of time torturing the beliefs into him. He had been spouting the same ideals as that bastard who had killed his mother and turned him into… this. He wondered what his life might have been like, had Schmidt never found him.

He looked at Jamie sharply, seeing the small smirk she was wearing, and came to a realization. "You knew," he said simply, brusquely.

Jamie shrugged with one shoulder. She didn't say anything, but from the back of his mind, Erik saw a childhood memory dragged forward. Him, his mother, his father, his sister, all gathered around a menorah, singing the blessing. His mother gave him a kiss on the top of his head, holding him close as the candles lit her face, showing her joy at the beautiful family gathered around her for all the world to see.

He pulled himself back to the present, ashamed to realize that there were tears on his cheeks.

Jamie watched him knowingly, a sad smile on her face as she wondered what it must have been like, to have such a loving family.

Erik wiped his eyes angrily. "What was the point of that?" he asked crossly.

Jamie bit her lip as she stood up. "There are other ways to honor her memory than simply killing her murderer. Death is the easy way out."

She left the room quickly, and Erik sat back, his thoughts confused. Charles had said that before, and he hadn't really given it the consideration it had deserved. Even though she was younger, Jamie's words seemed to come with more weight behind them. This was a girl who had suffered just as much under Shaw as he had, and she was telling him that he had the ability to move on. That he could choose a different path, if he wanted to.

Erik picked up his king, and studied it for a few moments. Could he really give it up? Charles and Jamie believed so, but did they really understand that he had spent nearly twenty years working towards this moment? If he let it go, what would he do with himself?

_Maybe you'll find that you can actually be happy_, a voice commented in his mind. He glanced around, recognizing Jamie's straightforward tone. He didn't attempt to reply, knowing that he had no sort of comeback, and simply set the king back down on the chess board, and went to his room.

**XXX**

The next morning, everyone gathered in the dining room, no one speaking much, just thinking about the task ahead.

"Where's Hank?" Raven asked curiously. Looking around, they realized that they hadn't seen him since the day before.

Charles frowned, concerned, and led them to the lab, where Hank had spent much of the last week. Inside, they were shocked and concerned to find the room destroyed. Broken glass was on the floor, tables were overturned. Against the far wall was a large chest, with a note on top.

Charles picked it up and read it to the group. "Put these on, and I'll meet you at the hangar."

He frowned, and set the note aside as Raven lifted the top of the chest. She pulled out a skintight suit and held it up.

Alex frowned as he reached in and found a suit that had the same sort of disk that he had been using to focus his power. "Do we really have to wear these?" he asked, looking at Charles.

Charles glanced over. "Put the suit on," he ordered. "We're going to be late."

They all grabbed the suits, seeing that each one had a name written on the inside of the collar, and certain ones were designed to work with their powers. Angel's had flaps that came undone on the back, allowing her wings to unfurl. Sean's had manmade wings, of a sort, that would allow him to catch the wind and fly.

When they gathered once more, they admired the suits for a moment, before quickly heading to the hangar, where they would take the plane that Hank had designed to Cuba.

Charles found himself attempting not to stare at Jamie. The suits were nicely designed, but did they have to be that skintight? They showed each one of Jamie's curves, and Charles was hard-pressed to look away.

He managed to hide his interest a little better after a not so gentle nudge from Erik.

They made their way to the hangar in silence, confused when there was no sign of Hank as they approached the plane.

"Where is he?" Sean asked nervously. "The note did say he'd meet us here, right?"

Charles nodded, but any reply he might have made was cut off by the man they were talking about.

"I'm here."

Hank's voice echoed around the hangar, and they all turned, confused, looking for him.

Hank hesitantly made his way to the group, worried about their reactions. This had not been what he had had in mind when synthesizing that serum.

Raven gasped lightly, as Hank came into view. "Hank," she whispered, shocked.

Hank looked down. "The serum didn't work," he said disappointedly. "It just enhanced the cells. I don't…"

He trailed off and shrugged, trying not to stare at the blue fur that covered his body. He had turned into a monster. 

Raven reached out and touched his arm lightly, causing him to jerk a little. She smiled at him when he raised his gaze to meet hers. "I like it," she declared firmly.

Erik nodded. "Never looked better," he said.

Hank growled at him. "Don't push me," he glared, ignoring the warning 'Hank', that came from Charles.

Erik shook his head quickly, suddenly wary. "I wasn't," he said honestly. "You look great, Hank."

"Yeah," Alex chimed in. "I think we've got a new name for you: Beast."

Hank considered for a moment, before he smiled, and gestured for them to get on the plane.

"Right, you're sure you can fly this, Hank?" Charles asked, just to be certain.

Hank looked at him. "Of course I can fly it. I designed it."

Charles nodded, and they all strapped themselves in.

**XXX**

With a supersonic plane, the trip from New York to Cuba took half as long as it should have. Soon enough, they were approaching what appeared to be a very tense situation. On one side were the American ships, and the other, the Russians. There was one ship in the middle, drifting ever closer to the invisible line that separated the two sides.

Hank maneuvered the plane so that it was hovering above the standoff. Once the plane was no longer moving, Charles unstrapped himself and moved forward, concentrating on the situation around them, trying to get a read on what was going on.

After a few moments he turned back to the group. "The Russians have been given new orders to turn around. They've lost contact with their advance ship. I checked, the crew of the ship are all dead. Shaw's been there." He grimaced slightly and turned back around. "They're going to cross the Embargo line in less than a minute, and all of this will be for nothing."

"We have to stop them," Moira pleaded. "We can't let it happen."

Erik looked at him knowingly. "What are you going to do, Charles?"

Charles took a deep breath. "Hold on." He focused on the situation once more, but turned back after only a few seconds.

Everyone looked confused, but Charles was staring at Jamie. "What are you doing, Jamie?" he asked, concerned.

Jamie glanced at him and then closed her eyes, going back to her own plan. "Stopping them." The rest focused on the teenaged telepath now, watching for some sign of what she was thinking.

Suddenly Hank let out a yell and swerved the plane, dropping it down and rolling it over to avoid the torpedo that suddenly came flying at them.

They looked out the window to see the torpedo make contact with the Russian ship, blowing it up just seconds before it would have crossed the line and hurtled them into another war.

Hank turned around in his seat and glared. "A little warning next time would be nice," he commented.

Jamie opened her eyes and shrugged. "Sorry." She didn't sound too apologetic though.

"Nice job," Angel complimented, while the rest nodded.

"So now what?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, where's Shaw?" Sean queried.

Charles bit his lip. "He has to be around here somewhere. Hank, is there anything on the radar?"

Hank shook his head. "Nothing. He's probably underwater, and we don't have sonar."

Sean looked up. "Yes we do," he said eagerly.

Charles looked at him, and nodded. "Yes, we do," he repeated. "Hank drop us down a little bit, and open the hatch."

Hank complied, and Sean unbuckled himself, moving closer to Charles. Erik also came forward, knowing that it would be his job to catch the submarine once they discovered where it was hiding.

Charles grasped onto Sean's shoulder, squeezing reassuringly. "You're going to be fine, Sean. Just like we practiced, yeah?"

Sean nodded and moved closer to the open hatch. "Just like we practiced," he muttered, and then turned slightly and glared at Erik. "You stay away from me."

Erik held up his hands and backed off slightly. Sean turned back to the open air beneath him, took a deep breath, and jumped.

Charles remained linked to Sean through his mind, and knew the minute the teenager had the submarine pinged. "Got it," he called, giving Hank the coordinates, a distance of nearly half a mile away.

Hank moved the plane closer, and Charles turned to Erik. "The point between rage and serenity, "he reminded the metal bender softly, referring to one of their training sessions during the week. Charles had helped him gain a better understanding of where his powers came from, and Erik knew that he could do this.

He squatted down and lifted a hand, searching for the high concentration of metal he felt hovering underneath the surface.

A few minutes later, the water began to churn. While the rest watched on in awe, Erik shook slightly with exertion as he slowly raised the giant submarine from the depths.

It was an amazing sight, to see the huge machine lifting up so majestically.

"Watch out!" Jamie called, breaking the silence as she focused on something they couldn't see.

Not yet, at least; a moment later, they realized what was happening, as a tornado began to develop, gaining size and speed as it jumped from the submarine to their plane.

"Careful!" Charles yelled, as Hank once more had to drop the plane.

However, they were unable to avoid the mutant-made tornado, and they all ended up getting caught in the cyclone, holding on for dear life as they spun out of control.

"Erik, get inside!" Charles yelled, trying to find something to hold on to as the plane flipped over in the air.

Erik's concentration was broken, and he lost control over the submarine as he reached back and grabbed Charles' hand. Together, the pair tumbled into the plane. Erik used his powers to hold onto the metal floor, simultaneously keeping both himself and Charles from bouncing around the cabin and potentially seriously injuring themselves.

A few minutes later, they finally crash-landed on the nearby island, only a short distance away from where Erik had dropped the submarine.

"Is everyone all right?" Charles asked, once they had stopped moving and he had a chance to catch his breath.

He received affirmatives, as Erik groaned and pushed himself up, allowing the telepath to stand, himself. He nodded a thank you to his friend, before moving to the opening in the plane. It had been a hatch over the wheels before, but with the plane on its side now, it acted as more of a door.

Around him, those who were still buckled in were undoing those restraints.

Outside, Sean landed in a less than graceful manner, and quickly made his way to the plane. "Are you guys ok?" he asked hurriedly, looking inside to assure himself that no one was injured.

Charles nodded absentmindedly, his attention mostly focused on the submarine. Outside, Azazel and Riptide were standing, waiting for them.

"Sean, Hank, Angel, Alex, distract them," he jerked his head at Shaw's two henchmen.

The four nodded and headed outside, while Charles turned to Erik.

Erik grit his teeth. "I'm going in."

Charles sighed and inclined his head. "I can guide you in, but there's a large blank area near the center of the submarine that I can't reach." He paused, wanting to say something to assure himself that Erik wouldn't go too far, but wasn't sure which words would work.

Jamie glanced at him and shook her head minutely. _Don't_, she said mentally, cautioning him against pushing.

Charles pursed his lips, but listened to the younger girl, and wished Erik good luck before the metal bender ran out of the plane, tore a section of the submarine off, and disappeared inside.

Charles turned to the remaining part of the group. Raven looked like she wanted to jump into the fight headfirst. He swallowed. "Raven, stay here."

Raven glared. "I can help."

Charles shook his head. "Anything comes through there, Raven, I need you to take care of it. I don't have time to argue."

Raven glowered, but stayed where she was. Jamie reached over and pushed her lightly towards the exit. "You go help the others. I'll stay here."

Raven glanced at her, and then back at Charles. Her brother seemed resigned as he nodded, just once, indicating that Raven could leave, before he concentrated on Erik's mind, guiding the metal manipulator forward.

Moira stayed in her seat, knowing that she wouldn't do more than get in the way, in this fight. Jamie diligently kept her post by the exit, while she mentally kept track of Erik's progress, the same as Charles.

Erik was getting frustrated. He had made his way to the middle of the submarine, and still hadn't found anything. Charles' voice echoed in his mind. _You're in the void, Erik, he has to be around there somewhere._

"He's not!" Erik replied angrily. "There's nothing here."

Charles' responding voice was urgent. _He has to be, Erik._

Erik shook his head. "And I'm saying he's not."

Suddenly the wall behind him melted away. He turned quickly, and then took a step back as Shaw became visible, wearing the helmet the others had told him and Charles about, that would block telepathic powers. A moment later, he forced his fears down, and entered the strange chamber.

"Welcome, little Erik," Shaw smiled widely. "I've been waiting for you."

Erik glowered. "Herr Doktor. This is over."

Shaw dropped his smile minutely. "That would only be true if you could actually beat me. And unfortunately, for you at least, I don't believe that to be the case."

He reached out and used a portion of the energy he had absorbed to blast Erik back, where he connected hard, cracking the reflective wall.

Charles' voice sounded urgently in his mind. _It's working, Erik, whatever you just did! I'm getting in! Keep doing what you're doing._

_Oh, sure_, Erik replied sarcastically, allowing himself to get picked up by Shaw and thrown into the wall a second, and then a third time.

The wall cracked even further, and Charles spoke again. _Ok, I'm inside, but I still can't get to Shaw. You have to get that helmet off, Erik._

Erik moaned and stood up. _Working on it_, he groused, before Shaw brought down several pipes, trapping him against a wall.

He could do nothing more than watch as Shaw moved closer, smirking as he offered up taunts and jibes for his former patient. "I do wish it hadn't come to this," he gloated. "You were such a good patient. I was only trying to unlock your potential. We're alike, you and I, if only you could see it."

Erik gasped laboriously, trying to keep his attention on Shaw. He felt for a broken cable with his mind, the one he could feel dangling just above their heads, and before Shaw could make a move, he had the cable grab the helmet off the former doctor's head. "Now, Charles!" he called.

The telepath was quick. Before Shaw could do much more than raise his hand to make a futile grab for the helmet, he had frozen the man completely.

Erik forced the pipes that had locked him in place to drop, and he stood up, brushing himself off. He took the helmet from the cable that was holding it. "I'm sorry, Charles," he said softly, before putting it on. He didn't want the telepath to try and force his decision on him. Whatever happened next, he wanted it to be completely his choice. He focused his attention on the man who had caused him so much pain. "You did get me to unlock my power, it's true," he said to the frozen man. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small coin. Such an innocent object. He had kept this coin with him for all these years, intending to return it to the man who had given it to him. He held it up for Shaw to see. "Recognize this?" He didn't wait for an answer that would never come, considering Shaw couldn't move. "You told me to move this, the first time I met you. When I failed, you killed my mother. You brought so much pain, so much death. You turned me into a monster. I had intended to return this to you. I spent nearly twenty years searching for you, so that I could use this coin to kill you."

He paused for a moment, studying the expression on Shaw's face. It was somewhere between shocked and afraid. "And now that I am here, I find myself wondering why."

_Please review!_


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize**

"Erik, no!" Charles yelled, as his friend put on the helmet, and he lost access to the metal manipulator's mind. "Erik!" He slammed a hand against the side of the plane. "Damn it!"

Jamie glanced over at him. "Have a little more faith," she said soothingly, before turning back to the beach.

Charles looked at her. "He just put the helmet on," he argued. "He's going to kill Shaw."

"Just believe in your friend," Jamie replied softly, her gaze focused on the fight outside. Angel and Sean were working together to subdue Azazel, while Alex, Hank, and Raven were focusing on Riptide, though they were finding it tough to get through his tornadoes.

Charles sighed, wishing he could have the faith Jamie talked about. But he had seen inside Erik's mind, he knew the pain the man felt, and he wasn't sure, even after everything Erik had admitted to him the night before, that he would be able to let the anger and hate go.

Jamie knew what Charles was thinking, and truthfully, she had her doubts as well.

Would Erik be able to move on? She concentrated, stretching her focus out, into the submarine, and to the room where Erik and Shaw were standing.

She felt Charles' mind holding Shaw in place, and though she couldn't really get in, she could also feel Erik's presence. Focusing hard, she called out, hoping that Erik would hear her.

_Erik, think about what you're about to do, and decide what you want your future to look like._

Erik looked around, searching for Jamie, but she wasn't there. It was just her voice. "I have thought about it_,_" he argued back.

He felt more than heard her sigh. _I won't stop you. I could, but I won't. This has to be your decision. Just remember your family. What kind of person do you want to be, Erik? What would they want you to do?_

"That's not fair," Erik argued, looking a little less certain. "Shaw killed them_._" Some corner in the back of his mind wondered if Shaw could hear what was going on around him, and what he thought of Erik having what appeared to be a one-sided conversation. That same corner wondered if Charles could also hear him, through Shaw, and whether or not he could hear Jamie's mental voice as well.

_Life isn't_ _fair_, Jamie shot back. _You know that just as well as I do._ Erik felt Jamie sigh again. _Shaw deserves it,_ she agreed after a moment of silence. _And I want him dead, too. But just take a minute and think about yourself. Not your revenge, or your anger, or what you want in this moment. Think about how you want your life to go. Your next decision will change everything, for better or worse._

She pulled out, leaving him alone. Erik looked around the room, unable to decide. Should he go on with this plan, or should he admit that he had already made his choice.

Unbidden, the memory of his mother swam to the forefront of his mind once more, and Erik knew that it was his own doing, this time, not some ploy from an annoying telepath who just had to worm their way past his defenses and show him that it was possible to have friends.

She gazed at him sadly, her eyes filled with love, and all he could see was the disapproving look she would give him when he tracked mud into the house, or when he forgot to pick up a carton of milk on his way home from school. What kind of look would she give him if she knew her only son had become a murderer?

He let out a breath of air, emotions warring for dominance. He didn't know what to do. Reaching up, he took the helmet off. _Jamie, will you join me?_

He could feel the teenager's hesitation, before she replied, _I'll be right there._

Outside, Jamie looked at Charles. He gazed back, wondering what was going through her head. He had heard everything she had said, and knew that this was nearly as hard for her as it was for Erik. Shaw had taken so much.

Jamie bit her lip. _ Come with me?_

Charles nodded immediately. _Always._

Together, the two telepaths left the plane. The fight outside was nearly over. Riptide was lying exhausted on the ground, managing to summon some wind every now and then, but it was clear he wasn't putting up much of a fight anymore. The winds he was sending out were nowhere near tornado strength, and his attackers weren't having too much trouble getting at him. Azazel was in better shape, teleporting around the group and throwing a few punches, but he, too, seemed to be losing strength.

Jamie whispered a firm command under her breath, and Azazel immediately dropped to the ground, unconscious.

Everyone turned to look at the teenager, and she shrugged unapologetically.

Charles cleared his throat. "We'll be right back, just stay here."

He quickly escorted Jamie inside, where they joined Erik in the nearly destroyed room at the center of the submarine.

Erik looked up as they arrived, his expression almost relieved. The coin he had kept with him for twenty years was floating in the air, barely a half a millimeter away from Shaw's forehead. He swallowed. "I need you to give me a good reason not to do this," he pleaded. "Please."

Jamie smiled sadly, avoiding looking at Shaw, nervous at being in the man's presence once more. Charles' comforting hand found its way to the small of her back, reassuring her. "We can give you all the reasons we want, but it won't help unless you believe it."

Charles nodded. "She's right, Erik. I don't think you believe you have to do this anymore; you're just afraid of admitting that there is a life beyond revenge. Prove to us that you are better than him, Erik. Put the coin down, and come home with us."

"Home?" Erik whispered. The word was foreign to him.

Charles nodded again. "You'll always have a home with us, Erik. We're family."

Erik let out an almost sob, and the coin dropped to the floor. He slumped, his shoulders curling in as the weight of that choice was lifted. Charles moved forward and gave him a tight hug.

"I'm proud of you," he whispered, pulling back.

Jamie smiled softly. _It might not feel like it now, but you made the right decision. Eventually, you might even figure out what that decision was._

_Perhaps you can give me a clue? _Erik asked, as they all turned to face Shaw.

Jamie glanced at him sidelong. _Whether you wanted to live for the past or the future_, she replied simply.

Erik raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything more. It would take some time, he knew. He had been so focused on revenge, that he really wasn't sure what to do with himself anymore. He looked at Charles. "So what are we going to do with him?"

Charles bit his lip, considering. "I think I may be able to block his access to his power. After that, he can go to prison."

"You can do that?" Erik asked, surprised.

Charles nodded slowly, slightly unsure. "I believe I can. Just don't ask me how."

Erik and Jamie waited in silence for several minutes, while Charles put Shaw to sleep and then concentrated on what he was attempting to do.

Five minutes later, he took a deep breath and stepped back. "There, that should do it," he said firmly.

"You're sure?" Erik asked, wanting to be certain that the bastard wouldn't be able to hurt anyone, ever again.

Charles looked at him and nodded. "Yes. He's nothing more than an ordinary human, now. What the CIA does with him from here on, I find myself not really caring."

Erik and Jamie appeared to agree wholeheartedly, and realizing how long they had been in the submarine, they quickly went out to join their friends. Erik brought the unconscious Shaw, wanting his lackeys to realize that they were beaten. Jamie woke Azazel up; the teleporter groaned before getting to his feet and joining Riptide, slightly confused at not receiving any opposition when he made his move.

Once clear of the submarine, Erik dropped Shaw unceremoniously on the sand. He turned to look at Azazel and Riptide, who were both now looking alarmed. He glared at them. "Shaw is defeated. You should think hard about your next steps, and decide whether or not you wish to continue following this man."

Charles stepped forward. "Should you decide to stand down, we will not attack further. I can offer you a place to stay, if you wish, and asylum from Shaw's fate."

Azazel and Riptide looked at each other, and then back at Charles. "Can we talk in private for a few minutes?" Riptide asked, his voice oddly polite.

Charles nodded, and the two mutants walked a few feet away, conversing quietly between themselves.

The rest watched them carefully, looking for any sign that they might choose to launch a surprise attack.

After a few minutes, Erik was getting anxious. "We shouldn't stay here much longer," he murmured to Charles.

As if to prove his point, a change in the ships a short distance away caught his attention. He walked to the edge of the surf, concentrating.

Charles made his way to his friend's side. "Erik?" he asked softly.

Erik glanced over at the telepath, and then to the group watching them worriedly. "They're pointing weapons at us. The guns have all targeted the beach."

Charles immediately looked to Moira, who was still standing by the plane. Understanding, she immediately went inside to try and hail someone to let them know that the threat had been neutralized.

Riptide and Azazel broke of their conversation and joined the rest of them. Riptide began a small tornado in preparation, while Angel lifted off the ground, her wings fluttering quickly.

"Stop!" Charles called out, before Riptide could release his creation. They heeded him, something he was only mildly surprised about. He turned to face Erik. "All of them?"

Erik nodded grimly. "The Russians and the Americans. Use your power, Charles, they're planning on blowing us out of existence."

Charles focused on the situation, and conceded that Erik was right. Both sides had been given orders to neutralize the mutant threat.

A moment later, the torpedoes launched. Erik held out a hand and halted them in midair. He slowly turned them around, so that they were pointed back at the ships.

"Erik," Charles warned. "Don't do it."

Erik hesitated, wanting to listen to his friend, but also wanting to protect their continued existence and beat the humans at their own game. After all, they had just launched an attack meant to kill everyone on the beach.

Jamie moved over to his other side, and slipped a small hand in his free one, the one not extended, holding the torpedoes in place. _If you do this, you prove them right_, she reminded him.

Erik glanced down at her and sighed. He lowered his hand, dismantling the torpedoes and letting them drop harmlessly into the ocean.

Jamie smiled at him gratefully, and Charles squeezed his shoulder comfortingly. After taking a moment to revel in their victory, he separated himself from the metal manipulator, with a silent request for Jamie to join him, as he walked a few feet further towards the surf.

"Make them forget their last orders?" Jamie suggested.

"With a subtle intimation to return home, should do it," Charles agreed.

Together, the two telepaths concentrated, and were rewarded when both navies turned around, heading away from the island.

"Nice job," Raven complimented, hurrying up to her brother and hugging him tightly.

"Now what?" Angel asked.

Charles looked at Azazel. "Have you made your decision?"

Shaw's former associates shared a look, before the teleporter replied. "We'll come with you," he agreed, speaking for both of them.

Charles smiled gratefully. "Would you be willing to return us to our home in Westchester, then? I can provide you with an image of the grounds."

Azazel nodded stoically. "What about him?" he jerked his head at Shaw's unconscious form.

Moira stepped forward. "We've got Emma Frost in a CIA holding facility. We can take Shaw there as well. Do you believe Emma can be reasoned with?"

Azazel and Riptide considered for a moment, before the teleporter shrugged. "She's more in line with Shaw's thoughts than we were. She'd be more likely to try and help him, than you."

Charles nodded, not surprised. He had, after all, been in her mind. There wasn't much hope for redemption there.

Azazel held out his hands. "If you want a ride, grab on."

They all linked hands, and a moment later, disappeared from the beach, and reappeared in New York.

Those who were unused to teleportation shook themselves off, feeling slightly queasy over the trip.

Riptide let out a low whistle at the sprawling mansion. "Sweet," he commented under his breath.

Sean nodded eagerly. "This place is awesome, wait until you see the inside."

He and Angel agreed to take the newcomers on a quick tour, while Moira went to contact the CIA, after getting approval from Charles.

Everyone else went to change, and a short while later, they all gathered in the dining room over take away pizza that Charles had gone to pick up from the nearby down.

Over supper, they discussed what was next. Moira informed them that the situation at the CIA was a bit of a mess, but she would keep in contact with them, and she wouldn't give away their location in Westchester.

Charles assured Azazel and Riptide that they were welcome to stay as long as they wished, and should they desire to leave at any point, no one would stop them.

The two newest additions were a little surprised at the welcome, though they did think they might enjoy living in such splendor, for a while.

"So what do we do now?" Alex asked. "I mean, you got us together to combat Shaw. He's dealt with, so now what?"

Charles bit his lip, looking around at the hodge podge group. "I had a thought that I might like to turn this place into a school, of sorts, for people like us."

"A school?" Raven asked, intrigued. "Like, math, science, English?"

Charles nodded. "Think about our situations. We can offer children a safe place to stay, to learn. We can teach them the necessary requirements for a school, but we can also help them learn to control their abilities."

"It sounds interesting, but what could we do?" Alex gestured at himself, and those seated around him. He, and Sean and Jamie, who were sitting next to him, were the youngest of this group. He assumed, he wasn't sure how old Raven was. Were they supposed to be teachers or something?

Charles smiled slightly. "I think we could all bring something to this endeavor," he assured them. "It's just an idea at the moment, but I would like to turn it into reality. I'd like all of your help, but I won't force you. Even if you don't wish to assist, you will have a room here, if you need it."

"Maybe we should think on it for now," Erik suggested. He thought it was an intriguing idea, but he didn't really think of himself as the sort of man who was good with children.

Charles nodded. "Yes, that sounds like an excellent idea. Now, it is getting late, so perhaps we should retire for the evening. It's been a long day."

They all nodded and began to head up to their rooms, leaving the dining room, until it was just Jamie and Charles alone.

Charles looked at Jamie, concerned. "Will you be all right?" he asked worriedly, knowing that she had trouble sleeping, most nights. Years of horrible experiences had given her awful nightmares that made it impossible for her to get more than a few hours of sleep at a time. Fortunately she had decent mental shields, which meant that she didn't usually project her nightmares to those around her, unless there were extenuating circumstances.

Jamie took a shaky breath. "Yeah, I think so."

Charles reached out and grasped her hand comfortingly. "If you need me, you know where to find me."

Jamie nodded uncertainly. "Thanks," she whispered, before dropping his hand and making her way upstairs.

After a few minutes of sitting in silence, Charles sighed, rubbing a hand across his face wearily. It really had been a long day.

Deciding that there was nothing more that could be done that evening, he headed up to bed.

_Please review!_


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize**

_Strauss was standing above her, whispering words meant to get her to lie still. He ruthlessly stuck the needle in her arm, smiling when she calmed down, her mental acuities fading as the drug ran through her bloodstream._

_OoO_

_Strauss had her in a chair, now, her arms and legs bound to it so that she couldn't fight. He gently ran a hand through her hair and down her cheek, seeming to relish in the way she flinched away._

_OoO_

_Another room, set up almost like a dentist's office, with the chair, and the table on the side holding an assortment of tools. She was strapped to the chair, unable to tear her gaze off of the tool that Strauss had picked up. He passed it between his hands, enjoying drawing out the moment, before he brought it down to her skin. She was unable to hold in her screams._

_OoO_

_In a cell, she was curled up against the far wall, shaking uncontrollably. The evidence of her last session was clearly visible through the holes in her shirt. _

_The door opened, and she shrunk further away. Strauss smirked, content that his methods were proving successful, as he knelt down next to her. One hand set down a plate of food, her first meal in three days. She had been bad, and hadn't been allowed to eat until now. The other hand worked its way down her side, caressing her underdeveloped body, ghosting over the bruises and scratches that he had put there himself._

"_Are you going to be a good girl?" he whispered, a touch of longing in his voice that was incredibly out of place, considering she was both a prisoner, and seven years old._

_She trembled harder, as his hand worked its way back up to her neck. He squeezed tightly, a warning, before he stood up and left her alone._

_OoO_

Somehow, Charles wasn't surprised to yet again be pulled from his slumber in the middle of the night. He sat up with a gasp, and quickly threw himself out of bed, hurrying towards the door.

He passed the others all poking their heads out of their rooms, not paying more than the minimal attention, as he quickly made his way to Jamie's room, not pausing before he opened the door and entered, closing it firmly behind him.

The others all looked at each other, worried, though Azazel and Riptide were more confused than concerned.

"Yeah, I don't think I'm getting back to sleep," Alex muttered, running a hand through his hair.

"After that? Me neither," Hank agreed.

Moira sighed. "Living room? I'll make some coffee."

"I think I love you," Angel commented as she passed the CIA agent.

Together, they made their way downstairs, congregating in the living room while Moira went to put a pot on.

They were silent for several minutes, before Azazel spoke abruptly. "You didn't seem too surprised about what just happened."

Angel looked at him, her eyes sad. "She's done it before."

"Who?" Riptide asked curiously. In his mind, he kept replaying the strange dream he had just had. There was a girl in it, and Shaw. He thought he recognized the girl, but he wasn't sure. It had been so vivid and terrifying.

"Jamie," Raven sighed. "Sometimes telepaths project their dreams or thoughts out, if they lose focus or don't have a good grip on their mental barriers."

"So, what, she had a dream about Shaw?" Azazel was still confused.

Raven nodded slowly. "They're memories, we figure. Shaw held her captive for about a year, I think. This whole situation just dragged those memories to the front of her mind."

Moira entered with cups and the pot of coffee, to general thanks. When everyone had a cup, Azazel spoke once more.

"I guess we didn't realize a lot of what Shaw's done. He always talked about getting us rights and making the humans aware of our advancements. But how is torturing a little girl working towards that goal?"

Erik shook his head angrily. "He lied about a lot of things. He has a lot to answer for, and he will."

Moira nodded quickly. "I'll make sure of it," she promised.

Azazel frowned slightly. He looked at Riptide, who nodded understandingly. The teleporter turned back to Moira. "I believe we should apologize for our actions under Shaw. The things he said, and told us to do, it made sense when he explained it."

Moira nodded again. "I imagine he was good at that." She sighed. "I won't forget the agents you attacked, but Charles believes that you should be given a second chance, so I'll trust his judgment."

"For what it's worth, we're glad he's been taken care of," Riptide said softly.

**XXX**

It fortunately didn't take too long for Charles to wake Jamie up. As soon as she was conscious, she let out a shuddering breath and buried her head in her lap.

Charles stayed at her side, one arm across her shoulders, the other resting comfortingly on her arm as he soothed her.

Eventually, she calmed down, pulling herself back together. She straightened up, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

Charles frowned minutely, and gave her a one armed hug. "Don't even think about feeling guilty," he admonished.

Jamie looked at him, surprised. "You can't see inside my head, how do you know what I'm thinking?" she asked, confused.

Charles smiled. "You think I need to read your mind to know your thoughts? Face it, Jamie, I just know you."

Jamie bit her lip. "I'm not sure if that's supposed to be comforting or not."

Charles shrugged. "I like that I can read you so well without having an inside track. It makes it more real."

Jamie considered that, and then nodded slightly. It was sort of nice, having someone who understood her the way Charles did. It was different, and a little strange, but it was nice, once she got over the weirdness of it.

Charles shifted in his seat. "I'm sorry if that sounded vaguely stalker-ish."

Jamie snorted. "Did you just use the word 'stalker-ish'?"

Charles blushed faintly. "You know what I meant."

Jamie let out a small chuckle, and after a moment, Charles joined in.

They fell silent a moment later, and Jamie felt her hands draw her gaze. She knew what Charles was thinking, and she really didn't want to talk about it.

Charles smiled slightly. "You don't have to talk. Just listen." Jamie glanced up, and, reassured by his comforting expression, nodded slowly. "No one blames you for anything." Jamie opened her mouth, but Charles lifted a hand and gently rested his forefinger against her lips, effectively stopping her from speaking. "That man did something horrendous, and very few people can truly understand what you've been through in your life." Jamie looked down at her lap again, and Charles removed his finger. "To be perfectly honest, I'm rather amazed that you haven't been waking up the entire household every night for the last week. It speaks to your level of control, and it is quite impressive. You have every reason to have nightmares, Jamie. It's not your fault."

Jamie flinched minutely, but Charles caught the action, and he furrowed his brow. "Please tell me you don't think that anything that's happened to you was your fault?"

Jamie shrugged, looking at the far wall as her knees curled into her chest. "It's not like I've had anyone tell me otherwise," she muttered.

Charles felt sick. "Jamie –"

Jamie cut him off, looking at him suddenly, with a blazing look in her bright blue eyes. "I don't need pity. But this –" she gestured wildly around her, "I'm not used to this. You. Everyone. I don't get it!"

She was nearly hysterical now, and ashamed to feel the threat of tears burning in her eyes.

Charles took a deep breath, and moved closer, taking her in his arms and holding her tightly. "You don't get it because you've never had it," he murmured into her soft blonde hair. He quickly ignored the thought of how well she fit into his arms. This was definitely not the time. "You've lived your whole life with people using you, hurting you, and making you feel less than human. It's foreign, for you to see the way normal family operates." Jamie let out a small gasp and the tears started flowing. She tried to pull away, but Charles just held her closer, whispering for her to let it out. "You're not supposed to be perfect, Jamie. You're not supposed to be all right with it. You're allowed to show pain."

Jamie sniffed, and forced herself away, breaking Charles' hold. The tears were still streaming down her cheeks as she looked over at the large bay window that showed a view of the many stars twinkling above on this clear night.

"I could hear it," she whispered brokenly. "All of it." Charles made to move forward again, but the look in Jamie's eyes when she suddenly turned to face him had him reconsidering. "Do you understand what it's like to have some guy holding you down, forcing you to do things you're years too young to even think about, and see it through his eyes? To hear every single sick thought running through his mind?" She buried her head in her knees. "Do you understand what it's like to lose your virginity before you even know where babies come from?" Her voice was so soft Charles nearly missed it; he winced at the harsh tone, filled with pain and anger.

He wanted to help. He wanted to say something, anything, that would make it better. Jamie glanced at him, the one eye that he could see properly conveying her incredulity. "Please, when you figure out what will do that, let me know."

Charles sighed. "I wish I had the words. I would gladly bear all the pain and hurt you've suffered, to keep you from it. And I'm sure anyone else here would as well. Because that's what it means to have people care about you."

Jamie lifted her head up completely, and made a questioning noise. Charles smiled slightly. "Everyone here cares, Jamie. Being a part of a family means looking after each other, soothing the hurts. A shoulder to lean on, someone to talk to." Jamie found herself wanting to believe in such a reality. Did those kinds of relationships really exist?

Knowing what she was thinking, Charles opened his arms invitingly, and allowed Jamie to fold herself into his embrace. He placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head. "It's all right for you to have bad nights. We're not going to be angry." Jamie shrugged offhandedly, the motion causing her to shift in Charles' arms. He rubbed her back soothingly. "You've got an inside track to everyone's mind. Has anyone here suggested anything of the sort?"

He waited for a moment, and then Jamie replied, her voice hesitant and unsure. "No."

Charles smiled. "What sorts of things do they think about?"

Jamie sniffed. "Hank wants to ask Raven out, but he doesn't think he has a chance." Charles made an abortive choking sound, and had the situation been different, Jamie might have laughed at the overprotective brother. "Angel thinks about how she needs to get a new wardrobe, since all she really has are stripper clothes. Sean wants to find a girlfriend. Alex wants to find his brother."

Charles leaned back slightly. "He has a brother?"

Jamie looked up at him and nodded, feeling comfortable in his embrace, and not willing to move just yet. "They haven't seen each other in a while. He has no idea where Scott is. I think we should find him."

Charles inclined his head absentmindedly. "Of course." He focused more on the current situation. "Now, are any of those thoughts about how they wish you weren't here, or resentment for you?"

Jamie shook her head. "No," she said again.

Charles smiled. "Do they ever think about you in any way?"

Jamie nodded. "Sometimes."

"And what do they think?"

Jamie bit her lip, snuggling into his chest, relishing the solidity of his body against her. Warmth radiated from him, making her drowsy. "Raven wants to take me shopping. I think I should be scared. She's not planning on a quick in-and-out trip. Is that normal?"

Charles chuckled. "Yes, I imagine it is. Raven probably sees the opportunity to act like an older sister, and is enjoying it."

Jamie nodded slowly. "Ok. I think Alex sort of sees me as a younger sister as well. I'm about the same age as his brother, so maybe that's why."

Charles' smile widened. "Go on."

Jamie pulled herself away slightly, not enough to actually break Charles' embrace, just enough that she could look him in the eye. "Erik wants to kill someone. It changes depending on the moment, but sometimes it's Shaw, sometimes it's the guy you found when you recruited me – nice plan on making him pay, by the way," she gave him a smirk. Charles mock-preened, and Jamie sobered. "Sometimes it's this hazy image of someone who looks like my father, but I'm not sure where he got that image."

Charles sighed. "When you projected your nightmare last week, I believe one of the images showed a conversation between Shaw and your father."

Jamie winced. "Right. So he basically wants to kill a lot of people. Sean doesn't really think about me much. I've caught a few thoughts here and there, but mostly I get the impression that he doesn't really care."

"What do you mean by that?" Charles asked curiously, wanting to know more. He didn't think of the redheaded teenager as cold or unfeeling, so it was strange to hear Jamie's view on his thoughts.

Jamie settled back down, relaxing once more. "Not like that," she murmured, drowsiness creeping in.

It did say something, Charles mused, about her faith and trust in him, that she was willing to let her guard down so much in his presence. Not just let her guard down, she was nearly falling asleep in his arms.

Jamie let out a contented sigh. "It's more that he doesn't really see any of it. He's more of a look to the future, forget the past, kind of guy."

Charles nodded, only partially understanding. "Can you hear their thoughts right now?"

Jamie was silent for a few moments, before she nodded. "They're all in the living room."

"What are they doing?"

Jamie turned her head so that she was looking up at his thoughtful expression. "Drinking coffee. Azazel and Riptide apologized for everything they did with Shaw."

"Really?" Charles was impressed. He hadn't thought those two would even acknowledge their misdeeds.

Jamie nodded, the movement dislodging Charles' shirt slightly, pulling it further down. "They're glad that we dealt with Shaw."

"What about what they all saw tonight? Do they feel resentment for being woken up?"

Jamie paused again, and then sat up, furrowing her brow in something that resembled confusion. "No. They're… worried."

"About what?" Charles asked, with a knowing look on his face.

Jamie glanced at him. "… Me." She tilted her head to the side. "They… They're all thinking about how they can help."

Charles nodded, satisfied. "Exactly. That's what family does, Jamie. You said it yourself, Alex sees you as a sister. Raven does as well. Here, we're all family. We're safe behind these walls. I know it will take a while to get used to it, but what I told you the first time we really spoke, at Division X, was true. You never have to go back."

Jamie looked at him in silence for a full minute, before she nodded slowly, and let herself relax against him once more. Charles slowly lowered her down and pulled the sheets up to tuck her in. Jamie's hand reached out and stopped him before he could stand up.

_Please stay,_ she pleaded mentally.

Charles only hesitated briefly, before he nodded and relaxed, pulling his feet up onto the bed and resting against the headboard. Jamie snuggled into his side, and he put his arms around her, feeling his breath hitch as she inadvertently rubbed against the sensitive spot just below his ribcage.

He watched her contentedly in silence, as she seemed to be halfway to falling asleep. A part of him, a very small part, felt guilty, for being in bed with a teenager. But the larger part of him just felt so right, lying there, with Jamie in his arms.

He knew that he shouldn't be thinking about these things, that there were bigger issues that needed to be dealt with. But he just couldn't help it. He hoped that the conversation they had had tonight had gone a long way in healing some of the wounds Jamie hid so well from the world, but only time would tell. It would take many more conversations, with him and the others. It would take days of having fun and re-learning what life was really about, movie and game nights, shopping trips with the girls.

Some day, she would no longer feel like she had to apologize for having a nightmare. She would no longer look for the exits in every room she entered. She would initiate hugs and human contact like the rest of them did without even thinking about it. She wouldn't flinch at loud noises, or wonder why the people around her cared. Some day, she would understand what being a family meant. It would happen.

Some day.

It had taken Charles a while to wrap his admittedly large mind around that concept as well. Raven had had a major hand in making that happen, but it hadn't been until after Kurt's death that he had truly begun to realize how wrong his stepfather had been. It hadn't been until he had spent a good deal of time beyond the walls of this very manor, hearing the thoughts of ordinary people, that he had discovered that family wasn't supposed to drink themselves into a stupor every night – or morning, his mother really hadn't been picky. Family wasn't supposed to throw their stepsons down flights of stairs, or smash bottles over their heads. It had been an entirely new concept for him, but he had learned it, and he knew that Jamie would as well. And he would be there, every step of the way, helping her, and showing her what life was supposed to look like.

Charles knew that it would take time, but he was in it for the long haul. It wasn't so easy to get over fifteen years of abuse.

Jamie shifted slightly, her arm coming up to rest across his waist. "Almost sixteen," she murmured.

Charles looked down at the girl in his arms and frowned slightly. "What?"

Jamie moaned tiredly and opened her eyes, looking up at him. "Loud thoughts. I'm almost sixteen. My birthday's next week."

Charles tilted his head to the side. _Do I want to know how much of that you overheard?_ he asked uncomfortably.

Jamie shrugged slightly, closing her eyes again. _Enough. And don't you dare carry through with that plan I can see forming in your head. I've never had a birthday party before, and I'm perfectly fine not starting now._

Charles shook his head. _That statement is so wrong,_ he shot back. _Even I had a few birthday parties when I was younger. And when I was older_, he added as an afterthought, remembering a few celebrations he had had while at school.

Jamie's mental voice was full of sarcasm. _I'm not really interested in getting drunk and taking home the first girl who falls for a cheesy mutation pick up line, thanks._

Charles flushed. _That's not what I had in mind. But sixteen is a big year, we should celebrate. I should get you a present._

Jamie was suddenly evasive, as she pulled away slightly, though Charles refused to loosen his grip, so she couldn't go far. _You really don't have to,_ she said quickly, looking at him with wide eyes.

Charles gazed at her, concerned. "Why not? It's your birthday, you're supposed to get presents, and eat cake, and have a great time."

Jamie looked down, allowing him to pull her back to his side, where she fiddled with the hem of his t-shirt. "It's just… I've never…" She bit her lip. "I've never gotten a present before," she admitted quietly. "I don't know what I'm supposed to want."

Charles was momentarily speechless, before he hugged her even tighter. _I think I might join Erik on that murder spree_. His mental voice was filled with a savagery that Jamie hadn't known the telepath was capable of.

Jamie shook her head. "You don't have to…"

Charles cut her off. "That's the basis for a gift, you know. It's not something you need, it's something you want. Family, people who care about you, they give you gifts on holidays, like birthdays, or Christmas. Sometimes, they just give you gifts because they want to."

Jamie looked confused, but didn't try and contradict him, which Charles thought might be progress.

He leaned down and kissed her temple. "Get some sleep."

Jamie was suddenly nervous. "You won't –"

Charles shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere," he promised.

And because Jamie trusted him, inexplicably, she immediately relaxed, and allowed herself to drift off to a dreamless sleep. It didn't make sense, but she knew that he would do anything to protect her, and he wouldn't force her to do anything she was uncomfortable with. She had no idea why she was so at ease with the idea of having him in her bed, or why she felt like she could tell him things, and he wouldn't see her any differently. She knew that he would move heaven and Earth for her, if he had to. She wasn't quite sure _why_, she just knew that he would.

So when he said he wasn't going anywhere, Jamie knew that he would stay all night, protecting her, keeping the nightmares away. Because he was pretty awesome like that.

_Please review!_


	12. Chapter 12

**Final chapter! Think of this as an epilogue of sorts. A super long one, since it's about twice as long as the other chapters!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize!**

When Charles woke up the next morning, he briefly wondered if he should feel guilty about having fallen asleep in Jamie's bed. He had intended to make sure she drifted off peacefully, but he hadn't meant to spend the night, especially since he didn't want her to wake up and freak out over having a man in her bed. However, despite the painful crick in his neck from the position he had slept in, he couldn't bring himself to feel any regret.

Jamie was still curled into his side, and the expression on her face was so content and serene that he didn't want to move, for fear of waking her up.

Happy to just enjoy the moment, he relaxed, and let his mind wander, thinking about his plans to open up a school. The manor had been so cold and empty, and filled with bad memories for most of his life, and he was eager to cover all that with something better. He could just picture the grounds filled with laughter, the unused rooms packed with kids eager to learn. He wanted to put his inheritance to good use.

Jamie shifted and moaned lightly, and then turned her head, cracking her eyes open. No wonder her pillow felt so strange, she thought groggily. She had to admit though, Charles' chest was pretty comfortable.

With that thought, she stiffened slightly and sat up, as the situation caught up to her and she remembered what had happened the previous night.

Charles sat up as well, watching her worriedly. "Jamie? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I do apologize for spending the night, it would appear that I accidentally fell asleep."

Jamie bit her lip, forcing herself to relax. "It's fine," she assured him. "I just… wasn't expecting it."

Charles nodded, reaching out to cover one of her hands with his. "It's all right to have that reaction," he said softly. "I understand."

Jamie forced herself not to show her grimace, as she quickly pushed the comforter aside and stood up. Charles followed her lead, and after telling her he'd see her for breakfast, headed for the door.

A quick glance of the hallway showed that no one was in sight to wonder at why he was in Jamie's room so early, so he immediately headed for his own bedroom to grab some clothes for the day.

Everyone gathered in the dining room over the course of half an hour, most with heavy lidded eyes that showed a distinct lack of sleep.

When Jamie entered, she could immediately tell what the issue was, and tried to remember Charles' words from the previous night, and not feel too guilty. It helped that none of the thoughts around her were accusing. It was mostly tiredness, and worry. They wanted to make sure she was all right.

It was kind of amazing, for her to hear these thoughts and realize that Charles was right: she had a family here. And family wasn't what she had always assumed it was. Her father had used her, for pleasure and money. That wasn't what family was supposed to do. They were supposed to care for you, and love you, and not expect anything in return.

Jamie felt herself freeze for a moment, before she caught herself and returned to her breakfast. All of a sudden, the truth of Charles' arguments hit her; he was _right_. She hadn't deserved anything her father had done, and it wasn't her fault. This, here, was what life was supposed to be like.

Charles glanced at her, conveying his concern without words. He had caught her sudden stillness, but didn't want to draw attention to it. He wondered if she had heard something in someone's thoughts that caused such a reaction, but calmed down when she shot him a smile and a nod. He raised an eyebrow, and Jamie shrugged.

_Ok, so maybe you're right_, she said mentally, rolling her eyes when Charles grinned.

Reminding himself that there were people around them who might notice the strange actions, Charles refocused on his plate. _I usually am._

Everyone stopped what they were doing and watched, confused, as Jamie tore off a piece of her muffin and chucked it at Charles' head.

"Everything all right?" Angel asked, looking from Jamie to Charles.

Both telepaths nodded quickly, hiding smiles, while the rest continued to look on, perplexed.

**XXX**

The week passed quietly, as the group spent many hours coming up with ideas and plans for Charles' desire to open up a school.

After the initial worry and awkwardness, Azazel and Riptide meshed quite well with the rest. They insisted on pulling Jamie aside briefly on their first morning at the manor, to apologize for their actions with Shaw, and for everything she had been through. Jamie accepted the apology quickly, knowing that they were truly sorry. She chose to ignore the pity she could hear and feel in their voices as they offered condolences for what she knew they had seen in her nightmare.

Moira, after several phone conversations with the CIA, left the manor to return to Langley for debriefing. She promised that she would keep their location and plans a secret for the time being, even if they threatened to fire her or arrest her.

She confided in Charles that she didn't think that would be a problem. She had spoken with her partner, Levene, and he thought the CIA was more interested in working with the mutants, rather than against them. The decision to fire on that beach had been a heat of the moment thing, and handing Shaw over to the US government had gone a long way in proving their willingness to cooperate.

Charles told her to keep in touch, and offered his services as an ambassador of sorts, if it was needed.

They were all a little nervous about what the CIA would decide to do; what they wanted most was to be treated normally, and not be discriminated against because of their abilities; but as Jamie had pointed out, people were people. They feared things that were different, and that was just human nature.

It was a relief to get a call from Moira a few days later, informing them of the CIA's decision to create a new department to deal with mutant relations. They were even happier when she told them that she had been given a promotion and would be running the department; Levene had come on as her assistant director. She promised to tell them more about it when she came to visit over the weekend, before hanging up. Creating a new department came with a lot of work after all, and she had to get back to it.

In between brainstorming, Charles quietly spoke to the manor's other inhabitants, planning what he hoped would be one hell of a party for Jamie. The teenager knew what he was doing, of course, but pointedly ignored it, since she knew he wouldn't stop.

He could be pretty damn infuriating, she mused, listening to a conversation taking place several rooms down from where she was sitting, in the library. Something about balloons and streamers. As annoying as it was, though, she kind of liked that he wasn't listening to her on this particular subject. She had never had a party before, or received presents, or had a cake. She didn't really see why people made such a fuss, but she felt a pleasant fluttering sensation in her stomach at Charles' persistence. He knew why she hadn't wanted a party, and decided that she needed to have one anyway. Normally, she would hate someone taking a decision out of her hands, but in this, she was willing to trust him a little. He genuinely cared about her, and wanted her to be happy. She liked the feeling he gave her; it was warm and comforting, like she was being wrapped in a blanket and told that everything was going to be all right.

**XXX**

When Jamie woke up on the morning of her birthday, she immediately noticed the cupcake sitting on the nightstand. It had pink frosting on it, and a single candle was lit and stuck in the middle. She frowned, confused, as she got out of bed.

She threw on some of Raven's old clothes – all she had, really – before she carefully picked up the cupcake and brought it with her to the dining room.

Everyone else was already there, including Moira, who had arrived late the night before.

They all looked up at her entrance and wished her a happy birthday.

Jamie nodded slightly, a little overwhelmed. This was certainly different form the year before – she had spent most of the day locked in a closet, before her father had taken her out, drugged her, and proceeded to spend the next few hours 'teaching her' so that she could satisfy his customers more. She had gotten to eat that day, she remembered, a plus she attributed to the specific day.

Raven smiled at the cupcake with its still burning candle. "You're supposed to make a wish."

Jamie looked at her. "What?" she asked, confused.

Raven felt her smile drop slightly, at the reminder that this girl had never had a normal childhood experience. Even with everything she and Charles had been through when they were growing up, they still made sure to have those experiences. "You make a wish, and blow out the candle," she explained. "Charles and I used to do this for our birthdays. We'd leave a cupcake on the other's nightstand so that it's the first thing we see in the morning. Come on, before the candle completely melts."

Jamie had to admit, she probably only had another minute or so before that happened. She pondered what was apparently some sort of birthday tradition, randomly wondering why people would wish over a candle, as she stared at the luminescent flame. After another few seconds, she decided on what she hoped was an appropriate wish, and blew out the candle.

Raven's smile was back. "Good. Now don't tell anyone your wish, or it won't come true!"

Jamie tilted her head to the side, and opened her mouth, about to ask why, when Charles interrupted her.

"Don't ask," he chuckled. "It's just a superstition. Now, let's eat, because you have a busy day."

Jamie frowned slightly, but took the seat Charles offered, and stared at the huge breakfast spread that was waiting. Pancakes, and fruit, and bacon, and potatoes, with orange juice and coffee.

"What do you mean, a busy day?" she asked, glancing at the telepath.

Charles shook his head. "Not going to ruin the surprise. Just eat up."

Jamie rolled her eyes. "If you want to get me out of the house so you can set up for my surprise party, you could just ask."

Several people looked disappointed, while others just accepted the fact that they couldn't hide anything from a telepath, and Charles sighed.

"You could at least allow us the illusion of surprise."

Jamie considered that for a moment, before she nodded in acceptance, and turned to her meal.

After breakfast, Raven and Angel disappeared upstairs with strict instructions for Jamie to meet them in the entrance hall in five minutes.

Confused but accepting, Jamie complied, and five minutes later found her standing with Moira, Raven, and Angel, as Charles handed his sister a credit card.

Jamie frowned. "What…?"

Charles smiled. "You four are having a girls day. Raven, Angel, and Moira are going to take you shopping for a new wardrobe, and anything else you might want." Jamie opened her mouth to protest, but Charles shook his head. "You're not going to win on this, Jamie, so just embrace it. You have no clothes of your own, and while Raven's old ones are not terrible, you should not have to wear hand-me-downs. And I want you to have anything you want here. This is your new home, so you should have some things to call your own. Feel free to get anything that will help you personalize your room, or whatever else you want."

"But –" Jamie still couldn't believe he was doing this.

Charles rested a hand on her shoulder and squeezed reassuringly. "You won't be breaking my bank, so don't try and feel like a burden or a charity case. That's not what this is. I can afford it Jamie." He smirked lightly. "It's time I start using my inheritance for something, don't you think?"

Jamie pursed her lips, wondering if arguing further would get her out of this. Deciding that it wasn't worth it, she nodded resignedly, and allowed Raven to pull her out the door, and down to the driveway, where the car they had hired for the day was waiting. The driver immediately opened the door for them, before he went around to the driver's seat, getting in and driving away.

With the girls gone, Charles immediately put everyone else to work, setting up the living room with decorations, and beginning to work on a birthday cake. He tasked Sean and Alex with that job, since out of all of them, they were the only ones besides himself who possessed some sort of cooking skills. Alex because he had had to do a lot of it in various foster homes, and Sean because he had several younger siblings, so he had also had to pitch in to provide.

**XXX**

Jamie was seriously regretting not putting up more of a fight. Why did the others feel the need to go into every single clothing store at the mall in the nearest town to the manor? And why did they think she had to try on every single article of clothing each store carried?

Raven and Angel both seemed to be going entirely overboard, while Jamie just watched, bemused, and Moira stayed slightly removed, more amused than anything else. She offered her inputs, but she was older than the others, and wasn't quite sure she could pick out a wardrobe for a sixteen year old girl.

They stopped in three stores before lunch, and ended up with what Jamie thought were more clothes than she would ever wear, but according to Angel, they weren't even halfway done yet.

They ate lunch at one of the restaurants in the mall, before moving on. Jamie already had multiple pairs of pants, tops, sweaters, and shoes, so she couldn't understand why they had to keep going.

Raven rolled her eyes as she dragged Jamie into their fourth store. "We're girls, Jamie. You're supposed to enjoy these things too, you know."

Jamie raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think I would care about things like this?"

Raven shrugged. "Fair enough. But the whole point of this is starting over, right?"

Jamie looked a little nonplussed, so Raven sighed and pulled Jamie to a quiet corner of the young adult section. Once there, she turned around and looked the teenager in the eye. "Look, I know you've had a crappy life, but that's over. We're family now, and that means making sure you have everything you need or want. It's not just me, ok? Charles told me to make sure your closet was completely filled by this evening."

Jamie was silent for several minutes, deliberating. Finally, she nodded slowly, her eyes conveying… acceptance. Though there was a hint of something lighter there, that indicated to Raven that she wasn't quite as adverse to the idea as she appeared to be.

"Starting over," Jamie said with a small smile. "I kind of like that idea."

Raven returned the smile, and pulled Jamie back to the racks of clothes. "Good. Because I saw a dress over here that is going to look fabulous on you."

Jamie groaned. "I said I like the idea of starting over, but I'm not a dress wearing kind of girl."

Raven shook her head. "Everyone needs some nice clothes. Besides, you want to look amazing for the surprise party that we're not throwing you."

Jamie felt her lips curving upwards against her will, as she accepted the dress Raven had picked out, as well as several more skirts and nice tops.

Raven seemed to be going for a specific type of look, and when Jamie asked, hesitantly, why everything showed so much skin, the shape shifter sighed.

"Jamie, I hate to break this to you, but you're an attractive sixteen year old girl. You shouldn't be covering yourself up."

Jamie looked down at her body, embarrassed, and understanding her discomfort, Angel threw an arm across her shoulders. "Your past experiences have made you hesitant to show skin. We get that. But it's a new start, right? You never have to feel uncomfortable or nervous again. No one is going to see it as an invitation or anything. And if anyone tries anything that you're not all right with, we'll kill them. Got it?"

Jamie ducked her head and nodded, hiding the small smile at the matter of fact way Angel had put it.

With that out of the way, Raven sent Jamie off to the dressing room to try on the pile of clothes.

They ended up getting several dresses and skirts, before they moved on, slowly working their way from one end of the mall to the other.

After visiting two shoe stores and a cosmetics store – because Raven insisted Jamie own her own collection of makeup – and dropping of the bags of clothes at the car, they stopped for a snack, before getting back to shopping.

Raven glanced at her watch, and nodded to herself. "Last store," she announced, to Jamie's immense relief.

They browsed through the clothing section for a while, looking for possibilities. Raven still wanted to find something for Jamie to wear that evening, and pointedly ignored Jamie when she asked why she couldn't just wear one of the other dresses they had already purchased.

Moira's hesitant query pulled Raven from her thoughts, and she turned around to see the CIA agent holding the perfect dress. Her eyes lit up as she took the dress and handed it to Jamie with strict instructions to try it on first.

When the teenager came out of the dressing room, all three women knew that she had found the perfect outfit. It had spaghetti straps, and a sweetheart neckline. The dress clung to every curve Jamie had, and flared out slightly before cutting off just above the knee. It was a deep purple color, with just a hint of sparkle.

Raven had tears in her eyes as she smiled. "Oh honey, you look amazing."

Jamie blushed as Angel and Moira chimed in with their own compliments.

"It feels kind of small," Jamie looked down as if she was embarrassed at the nonexistent fat hovering around her midsection.

Raven rolled her eyes. "Sweetie, you've got nothing to worry about. It fits you perfectly."

Jamie shrugged, but didn't argue when they all insisted she get it, and went back into the room to try on the other clothes.

Finally, _finally_, they were finished. Raven insisted she wear the dress out, because they would be heading straight back to her party, which she agreed to only partially willingly. It just felt… awkward. She supposed she might get used to it after a while, but for now it was just weird.

The newly turned sixteen year old definitely turned a few heads as they paid and walked out of the store. Raven and Angel glared at any boy who looked like he wanted to approach. She was sixteen, sure, but she was _their_ sister.

**XXX**

When they returned to the manor, it was immediately obvious that the boys had been decorating. There were streamers wound around the outdoor banister that led up the stairs to the front door. Opening the door revealed balloons and streamers decorating the entryway, and there was a definite smell of pizza coming from the living room.

Raven, Angel, and Moira had changed into dressier clothes that they had brought with them before leaving the mall, so they wasted no time in dragging Jamie towards the smell of food.

"Surprise!" came from all corners, as the girls entered.

The boys were all there, dressed up as well, in nice pants and button up shirts. They were all grinning happily, proud of the work they had done to decorate the manor. More streamers and balloons were hung in the living room. A table off to the side held nearly a dozen pizzas, and a smaller table next to that had a beautiful cake – if one ignored the fact that it was leaning slightly to the side and was rather haphazardly frosted. Jamie was still touched that they had made it for her.

Charles felt his mouth get very dry as Jamie entered. She looked… words simply failed him. She was beautiful, radiant, gorgeous, and everything in between.

A pop behind him drew him out of his stupor, and he realized that Erik had popped the cork on the champagne and was pouring glasses. He took two, and moved forward to hand one to Jamie.

"Just the one," he winked. "We are celebrating, after all."

Jamie nodded, though she was certain she could finagle a second glass if she wanted. Not that she was really anxious; she wasn't really a fan of alcohol, not after seeing and feeling how far her father would go under the influence. Besides, if she drank too much, who knew what it would do to her abilities? She had hated not being able to control her powers when under the influence of heroin, and she had a suspicion it might be similar with alcohol.

They all toasted Jamie, who now had a light pink blush spreading from cheek to cheek, as she ducked her head and took a sip.

Once that was over with, they fell on the pizzas. Charles put a record on, and they spent several hours eating pizza and cake, talking and dancing.

Once they had eaten their cake, Charles pulled Jamie out into the garden to talk without anyone else overhearing. A quick glance around the room showed that everyone was occupied, and would be less likely to notice their absence.

Once outside, Charles bit his lip, trying to put into words what he was feeling.

Jamie smiled slightly. "You know, the beauty of being a telepath is that you don't have to actually put things into words."

Charles looked up, startled, and then smiled ruefully. "True," he allowed. "But I'd still like to say it. It feels more real, that way." Jamie nodded and waited for him to continue. Charles sighed. "I'm six years older than you. I shouldn't feel the way I do, but every time I see you, it's like the sun coming out from behind a cloud." Jamie smiled softly, a real smile that Charles knew she didn't give out freely. He took a deep breath. "I love how you're able to be this amazing, wonderful person, even after everything you've been through. I love the way you laugh, the way you see the world; you see the way things could be, without being blinded to the way things are. I love your smile, and the sparkle in your eyes when you're happy." He bit his lip and felt his eyes drop slightly, hovering somewhere around her chin. "I also love the way you have a special smile that you only show me."

Jamie blushed. "Really?" She hadn't been aware that she looked at him differently than everyone else. She thought she had hidden it better than that.

Charles shrugged and looked away. "I know I probably shouldn't have said anything. I just couldn't help it. I'm sorry."

He made to turn away, when Jamie grabbed his arm, stopping him. He turned back, confused.

Jamie hesitated briefly, before she stepped forward and tilted her head up, standing on her toes a little as she gave him an uncertain kiss.

It only lasted a few seconds, and then Jamie pulled away and looked down. "I probably shouldn't have done that, but I couldn't help myself," she parroted his words, a small smile on her face even if she seemed too afraid to meet his gaze.

Charles was surprised, and unable to speak for several moments. Jamie seemed to think she had just made a mistake, because she started to pull further away, out of his reach.

Charles grabbed her to keep her from going any further. When she looked up at him, confused, he smiled. "Probably not," he agreed impishly, before he leaned forward and kissed her.

The second kiss lasted much longer, and was far deeper than the first one.

When they pulled apart after nearly a full minute, Jamie laughed weakly as she buried her head in his chest.

Charles marveled at how for the first time, he wasn't automatically sure of what his female partner was thinking. He had had his fair share of dates, and he never had to guess at whether the girl was enjoying herself, or if the date was going to go anywhere. But he couldn't use his abilities here.

Jamie pulled back a little and looked up at him. "Does that bother you?" she asked hesitantly, a little afraid of his potential answer.

Charles immediately shook his head, silencing her fears by kissing her again. "I love it," he assured her. "I love that I can know what you're thinking even without having that insight. I know that I'm not just playing off of what you feel, or just doing something to make you happy. I want this, Jamie. For me. For you. For the first time, I know that a relationship is real. What we have isn't based on cheesy pick up lines and pulling the answers out of someone's head." He grinned bashfully, and Jamie smiled hesitantly. "It's real. This, us, it means something to me, because I know that I'm not just looking for one night. I want a future. And for the first time, I don't have all the answers. But never think that I'm disappointed."

Jamie nodded in understanding. "If it helps, I don't need to see inside your head to know what you're thinking either."

Charles smiled. "I know."

They spent a while longer in the garden, talking about this new development in their relationship, wondering if they should tell the others.

By the time they determined that they had to go back in or people would start missing them, they had decided to keep it a secret for a little while.

"Call me selfish, but I would like to have some time to ourselves, before we start dealing with the others," Charles said, hoping that Jamie would agree.

She did, not wanting to be judged by anyone just yet. She didn't care, and neither did Charles, but some people might think the six year age difference odd.

They walked to the doors hand in hand, before they would have to go pretend nothing had happened. Charles paused before he opened the door, and turned to face Jamie.

He leaned down and kissed her. "Was this birthday everything you ever wanted?" he asked, smiling as he pulled back.

Jamie considered for a moment, thinking about the torture of shopping, but admitting to herself that she had enjoyed spending the day with the girls. She thought about the homemade cake, which didn't look like it had been expertly done, but was good and most importantly, made specifically for her.

She thought about the friends and family that she had made after being rescued from that dilapidated old house just a few weeks earlier. People who knew about her rough life, and honestly didn't care. Well, they did, but more in the sense that they wanted to go hunt down everyone who had ever hurt her and rip them limb from limb.

But most importantly, she thought about the man standing next to her; a man who had given her so much; a new life, a chance to be happy. She knew without a doubt that he would do anything for her. He had been so patient and calm, telling and showing her over and over again that she was safe now and that she didn't have to be afraid, in the hopes that eventually, she would believe it. And she did. Charles had given her so much more than anyone would ever realize.

She reached up, winding her arms around his neck as she pulled his head down, giving him a kiss that she hoped would successfully convey all of her feelings.

She knew she had been successful as they pulled apart. She didn't even need to read his thoughts: the look on his face said it all. She smiled brilliantly, and her reply, when she gave it, spoke of more than just this one evening, the first birthday party she had ever had, the first cake she had ever eaten, the first present she had ever received. Both knew she was talking about anything and everything.

"So much more."

_So we're done. I have tentative plans to do a short sequel that will bring in the Days of Future Past storyline, if there's enough of a demand for it._

_Please review and let me know what you think!_


	13. Author's Note

**Hey guys, this is just a friendly Author's Note to let you all know that I've posted a sequel to _Fire and Rain,_ so please go check it out!**

**It's a sort of fusion with the _Days of Future Past_ timeline, with a bit of a twist (and some lemon, and maybe some tequila as well!) Anyway, I just thought I'd post this AN here, so that people know that the sequel is out there.**

**Thanks!**


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